


An Unexpected Runaway Bride

by StrikeMoonstone9387



Series: The Mad Man and The Welsh Star [4]
Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Chosen Ones of the Mara, Doctor Who Christmas Special, Female Ianto Jones, Gen, Sentient TARDIS, Time Lady Seren, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-05
Updated: 2018-10-05
Packaged: 2019-07-15 21:37:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 26,141
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16071851
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StrikeMoonstone9387/pseuds/StrikeMoonstone9387
Summary: The Doctor, Seren and Siwan have just said goodbye to Rose, Jackie and Mickey for the final time. Right after the connection ends, a pretty redheaded bride appears in the TARDIS while they’re still in flight. Returning her to Earth, they learn that it had been six months since the Battle of Canary Wharf and Earth is once again under threat of invasion.Can the Doctor, Seren and Siwan hold themselves together long enough to save the Earth from the Racnoss? What is it about Donna that makes her so special, so important to the Racnoss? When the Doctor and the twins are about to fall, can Donna help them stand up and remind them of what they still have?





	An Unexpected Runaway Bride

_Notes: I’m going to try and limit the amount of times I refer to Seren and Siwan as twins from now on. I’ve tried to explain in the story as the reason why, but just to keep things clear, Seren and the Doctor are going to refer to Siwan as their daughter while Siwan refers to the couple as her parents more often than not._

**An Unexpected Runaway Bride**

The Doctor and the two women looked at the Bride completely flabbergasted, not knowing how she could’ve gotten on-board.

“How – How did you do that?” Siwan asked, looking at the Bride dumbfounded.

“You – You can’t do that. I wasn’t…” He stammered, looking at the console and seeing the Time Rotor move up and down in gentle rhythmic motions. “We’re in flight!”

“That is _physically_ impossible!” Seren exclaimed in shock.

“How did –” The Doctor started, gaping at the Bride.

“Tell me where I am.” The Bride cut in, glaring at the four who were on the other side of the console. “I demand you tell me, right now, where am I?!”

“Inside the TARDIS.” The Doctor replied numbly, staring at the Bride with wide eyes.

“The what?” The Bride asked.

“The TARDIS.” The Doctor repeated.

"The what?" The Bride asked again.

"The TARDIS!" The Doctor shouted, turning to the console and pressing various buttons.

“The what?!” The Bride asked, getting angry as the Doctor began to get frustrated.

“She’s called the TARDIS.” Seren explained gently as she worked away at the console with the Doctor, getting the feeling that if the two continued, the Doctor was likely to get slapped by an angry Bride.

“That’s not even a proper word!” The redheaded Bride snapped, turning her glare onto the Welshwoman. “You’re just saying things!”

“No, really.” Siwan said with a reassuring smile, stepping towards the Bride. “It’s an acronym for Time and Relative Dimensions in Space, T-A-R-D-I-S. TARDIS, see?”

Siwan cocked her head to the side and smiled sweetly up at the redhead, looking like the picture of innocence. The redhead calmed down slightly, reassured somewhat by the innocent air the younger woman seemed to give off.

“How did you get in here?” The Doctor asked, unknowingly rephrasing Siwan’s earlier question.

Unfortunately, the question set the Bride off again and she glared at the Time Lord as she snapped, “Well, obviously, when you _kidnapped_ me!”

“Seriously?!” Siwan groaned and face palmed exasperatedly, seeing that her attempts to calm the irate redhead down had just gone out the window.

The man had an innate habit of being able to set people off, usually just when Seren and Siwan had managed to calm them down.

A pang of sorrow had shot through Seren’s heart at the Bride’s comment about having been kidnapped, remembering the times when Jackie had also insisted on having been kidnapped by the Doctor. Fighting her tears, she glanced at Siwan, seeing the same pained look, the same fight against the tears, on her face before her mask fell into place.

Idris hummed gently at the back of their minds, soothing and reassuring her twins and her thief with her timeless song.

Hearing the song echo in the back of their minds, small smiles crossed Seren and Siwan’s faces as their pain and grief lessened ever so slightly.

“Who was it? Who’s paying you?” The Bride continued to rant, unaware of the Welshwomen’s momentary distraction. The Doctor straightened up and looked her, taking in her attire, completely baffled. “Is it Nerys? Oh, my God, she's finally got me back. This has got _Nerys_ written all over it.”

“Who the hell is Nerys?” The Doctor asked, running his hand through his hair and eyeing her in confusion.

“Your best friend.” The Bride sneered.

“No, that’s Nana.” Siwan said, pointing in Seren’s general direction.

“Hold on, wait a minute.” The Doctor cut in before the Bride could retort back, looking at her elegant attire. “What are you dressed like that for?”

“I’m going 10–pin bowling.” She replied sarcastically before glaring at him fiercely and shouting, “What do you think, Dumbo? I was halfway up the aisle!”

“Dumbo?” Seren repeated, a small smirk crossing her lips as she cocked her head to the side.

“Congratulations.” Siwan said, looking at the Bride with a bright smile.

“Thanks.” The Bride said, glancing at her before turning her furious gaze onto the baffled Time Lord and resuming her rant. “I’ve been waiting _all my life_ for this! I was _seconds_ away! And then you, I dunno, you drugged me or something!”

“We haven’t done anything!” The Doctor snapped back defensively.

He and Seren rapidly worked the controls in unison, setting the course for Earth while Siwan leaned back against a coral pillar.

“We’re having the police on you!” The Bride continued, ignoring his interruption and circling around the console. “Me and my husband, as soon as he is my husband, we’re gonna sue the living backside off ya!”

The Doctor looked at the Bride for a moment before shaking his head and turning back to the controls. The Bride meanwhile, caught sight of the doors and rushed towards them.

“No, wait a minute!” Siwan yelled, seeing where the Bride was heading and rushed after her. “Don’t…”

But it was too late for the warning, the Bride had already thrown the TARDIS doors open. The pretty redhead stopped short and gaped, open-mouthed, at the sight of the supernova they were orbiting, the pinks, oranges, blues and purples forming a beautiful swirling mass of color with the dying sun at its heart.

The Doctor and Seren exchanged looks and joined the two women at the doors, looking out at the beautiful sight in front of them.

“You’re in space.” The Doctor explained gently, standing on Donna’s other side with Seren in front of him. “Outer space. And this is our… space… ship.” He wrapped his arm around Seren’s waist and she leaned back against his chest. “She’s called the TARDIS.”

“How am I breathing?” The Bride asked faintly.

“The TARDIS is protecting us.” Siwan said cheerfully, lightly stroking the doorway fondly. “Like she always does.”

“Who are you?” The Bride asked, looking between the three of them.

“I’m the Doctor.” The Doctor said.

“Use your past name, my Star.” Idris said with a gentle prod.

“I’m Astraea.” Seren replied with a beautiful smile, following Idris’ prompt.

Seren didn’t know why, but she trusted Idris to know what she was doing. Even still, using her previous name felt like she truly was accepting who she had been as well as who she was – a Time Lady _and_ a Chosen One.

The use of her past self’s name caused the Doctor to look at Seren in momentary surprise before his features softened and a small smile crossed his face. ‘Seren’ or ‘Astraea’, whichever name she went by, she would always be his beloved wife, even if they weren’t quite ready to get married again just yet, though they had discussed the topic.

“I’m their daughter, Aludra.” Siwan replied, an equally radiant smile on her face, taking Seren’s cue and going by her past self’s name. “And you are?”

Like Seren, the use of her past name gave her the feeling of truly accepting who she had been and who was now – a Time Lady _and_ a Chosen One.

Seren and Siwan were both - Time Ladies and Chosen Ones. Always had been and always will be, forever.

“Donna.” The Bride, Donna, replied.

“Human?” The Doctor asked, eyeing the redhead.

“Yeah.” Donna replied, her attention back on the supernova. “Is that optional?”

“Well, it is for us.” The Doctor said with a sheepish look on his face.

Seren and Siwan giggled at his expression, knowing that what he said was true.

They were Chosen Ones of the Mara who had Chosen Immortality. Siwan was not quite human though she would register as such if she were to be surface-scanned by any alien technology. Siwan was also a reincarnated Time Lady who was slowly regaining the memories of her past life, along with the echoes of what her personality had been like at the time while Seren was once again a Time Lady.

What they hadn’t mentioned to Rose, Jackie and Mickey when saying goodbye was that while they were in Cardiff following the Battle and the Doctor was trying to establish the connection, Seren was undergoing the transformation back into a Time Lady - complete with being sick as well as going in and out of consciousness and lucidity. When asking Idris about whether or not she would regain all her memories at the same time, Idris had replied that they would return slowly just like they had been, with bits and pieces filtering through to the forefront of her mind before settling into her long term memory.

However, with Seren also a Chosen One of the Mara and having the Vortex running through her, she was only the equivalent of a half-Time Lady, the binary vascular and respiratory bypass systems and the higher tolerance for pain and illnesses but with only partial regenerations rather than full ones - her regenerations would only change a few aspects of her physical appearance like her hair color or age.

Idris had also informed Seren and the Doctor their Soul-Bond - the Gallifreyan equivalent of being married and eternally soul-bonded - would slowly reassert itself as time passed, elating the couple beyond measure and led to their discussion of marriage.

Siwan, on the other hand, only had a few quirks of Time Lord Physiology, like the enhanced senses and the higher tolerance towards pain, illness and extremes.

“You’re aliens.” Donna said, not able to be more surprised by the news than she already was.

“Pretty much, yeah.” The Doctor said nodding, deciding not to get into the technicalities of their frankly complicated lives.

Donna was silent for several seconds, letting the news sink in.

“It’s freezing with these doors open.” She said finally, though unable to turn away from the brilliant supernova in front of them.

Seren gently closed the doors while Siwan climbed onto a coral pillar and perched in the Y-beam.

“I don't understand that and I understand everything.” The Doctor said rapidly, dashing up to the console. “This – This can't happen! There is no way a human being can lock itself onto the TARDIS and transport itself inside.” Donna and Seren reached the console just as the Doctor reached into the tool-belt that was hanging from a nearby coral pillar and grabbed an ophthalmoscope. “It must be…” He turned back to Donna and used it to peer into her eyes, crowding into her personal space. “Impossible. Some sort of subatomic connection? Something in the temporal field?” He began muttering rapidly, barely pausing to take a breath. Seren and Siwan rolled their eyes and shook their heads in exasperated fondness. “Maybe something pulling you into alignment with the Chronon shell. Maybe something macro-mining your DNA within the interior matrix. Maybe a genetic –”

Donna, fed up of being examined and spoken about as though she wasn’t there, slapped the Doctor, cutting off his rambling at the same time.

Seren and Siwan burst out laughing, their peals of bell-like laughter echoing through the console room.

“Ow! What was that for?!” He asked indignantly, one hand coming up to his cheek.

“Ada, do you have _any_ idea how fast you were talking?” Siwan asked through her giggles from her perch on the coral pillar.

“ _Cariad_ , I have had 900 years of experience with it and even _I_ was having difficulty keeping up.” Seren added through her own giggles.

She was only two years younger than him, currently being 900 when including the years she spent growing up on Earth after dying in the Time War. It had been a surprise when she was born, especially since her brother had only been 2 years old at the time. Time Lords and Time Ladies were typically so long lived that they were practically immortal. As such, there was always at least a decade or two between each child born within a single family.

“Get me to the church!” Donna shouted, fuming and glaring at the Time Lord.

“Right! Fine!” The Doctor said, dropping the instrument back into its tool-belt and turning to the console. “I don’t want you here anyway!”

Seren reached out and covered his hand with her own smaller one comfortingly. She knew that he was masking his pain at losing Rose, Jackie, Mickey and Johnny with his mad man act and by diving into another mystery.

“Where is the wedding?” Seren asked, turning to Donna.

Up in the coral pillar, Siwan was partially concealed as a few tears slipped down her cheeks. It had only been about 6 weeks for them since the Battle, that time being spent in Cardiff with Rhiannon and the kids while the Doctor worked at trying to establish a connection with Rose using the remaining gap that was left between the Universes.

“Saint Mary's.” Donna said, shaking Siwan out of her thoughts. “Hayden Road, Chiswick, London.” Siwan wiped her tears away and dropped down from her perch, walking towards the console. “England, Earth, the Solar System.”

“She reminds me of you.” Seren said quietly to the Doctor as he inputted the coordinates.

“How?” He asked, looking at her with an almost affronted frown.

“Just after you regenerated, you were so proud that you managed to get us to London, Earth, the Solar System.” Seren replied, nudging him lightly with a grin. “Sound familiar?”

“Yeah.” The Doctor replied with a nod, pressing a loving kiss to her forehead and smiling gently before turning back to the controls.

“Then you keeled over.” Siwan said softly, standing on his other side and smiling up at him.

Before the Doctor could retort to Siwan’s comment, Donna, who had spotted Rose’s blouse over the railing, snatched it and held it up.

“I knew it.” The redhead hissed. “Acting all innocent.” She stormed over to them, nearly shoving the blouse in their faces as she waved it. “I’m not the first, am I? How many women have you abducted?” She rounded on the Welshwomen, turning her accusing gaze onto them. “And you two! Are you both a part of it? Of course you are! What did you do? Lure them in with your innocent eyes and smiles?”

“That’s our god-sister’s.” Seren said quietly, her face pinched with pain.

“Where is she, then? Popped out for a spacewalk?” Donna asked dryly.

“She’s gone.” Siwan said quietly, fighting her tears and her gaze firmly planted on the blouse.

When Siwan was picking it up of the floor and putting it on the railing, she hadn’t given it much thought - picking up after the blonde had become an ingrained habit over the years. But seeing it in Donna’s hands and hearing the redhead’s probing questions to where Rose was, it brought back a flood of memories to the forefront of her mind – memories of when the Doctor and Seren had taken them to Epeer, the asteroid bazaar, so that she could get a birthday present for the blonde.

The lovely purple blouse that Rose loved.

“Gone where?” Donna prodded, crossing her arms.

“We lost her.” The Doctor said, his eyes filled with sorrow and pain that was mirrored by Seren and Siwan.

“Well you can hurry up and lose me!” Donna shouted furiously.

The Doctor turned back to the controls while Seren wrapped her arm around Siwan, both looking at the fabric sadly. Seren and Siwan remembered the years they had with Rose, from the time she had been born to when they had lost her 6 weeks ago, the memories flooding over them like tidal waves and they fought against their tears, struggling not to break down.

Donna’s gaze softened, the anger fading to sympathy at seeing the deep pain and sorrow on the Time Lord’s face and the sheer _devastation_ on the Welshwomen’s faces.

“How’d you mean ‘lost’?” She asked in a much softer tone.

None of them replied to her question, but she got her answer – they wouldn’t see her again.

Siwan moved away from Seren, stepping towards Donna and gently taking the blouse from her hands. Silently, the sapphire-eyed Welshwoman walked away from her, towards a door that led to a darkened corridor.

“Right! Chiswick!” The Doctor said, masking his pain behind his manic mask and enthusiastically pulling the lever that would send them into the Vortex.

Siwan walked out of the console room and through the corridors, the path lighting up as she walked. Memory after memory washed over her and her tears fell down her face, unchecked and without pause. At the back of her mind, she could hear Idris humming soothingly, trying to comfort her from her sorrow though it didn’t stem the flow of tears.

She stopped in front of a mahogany door with a gold nameplate with ‘Rose’ written in beautiful calligraphy and a red rose engraved into a corner of the plaque. She reached out with a shaking hand and opened the door, entering the light pink-themed room that still held Rose’s scent inside. She took a shuddering breath and strode over to the armoire, opening the top drawer where Rose kept her blouses.

Folding the purple blouse, she neatly placed it into the drawer before closing it gently. She turned and rested her back against the cabinet, sobbing uncontrollably and sliding down to the floor, the folds of her lehenga pooling around her. She brought her knees up and folded her arms around them, burying her head into her legs as her shoulders shook with the force of her sobs.

Idris hummed, the song echoing around the room rather than just at the back of her mind, the sentient being trying to comfort her beloved Sapphire in what way she could.

Slowly, Siwan stopped sobbing and rose to her feet, wiping her eyes.

“Thank you, Idris.” She said, looking up at the ceiling.

“You’re welcome, my Sapphire.” Idris replied, the room glowing gold momentarily in correspondence to the sentient beings reply.

Siwan fixed her hair and smoothed out her lehenga, erasing all traces of her torment and walked out of the room, gently closing the door behind her. She walked down the corridor, making her way back to the console room to re-join her parents and Donna.

Idris would leave Rose’s room unsealed for a short time, giving them time to go in and out, to try and find some closure with losing her, before sealing it away like she did for all the other Companion’s rooms.

Siwan entered the console room just as the TARDIS landed with her typical whirring and grinding. As soon as the whirring and grinding noise faded, Donna darted out of the box and looked out onto the street they had landed in – right time, right planet, however most assuredly _not_ the right location.

“I said ‘St. Mary’s’.” Donna called to the time travelers. “What sort of Martians _are_ you?”

“Martian?” Seren repeated with a raised eyebrow, stepping out of the TARDIS with the Doctor and Siwan, momentarily distracted from her concern for the TARDIS.

“What’s wrong with her, Ada?” Siwan asked, looking at the TARDIS worriedly.

“I don’t know.” The Doctor said quietly, running a hand over the blue paneling. “It’s like she’s… re-calibrating!” His eyes widened and he ran back inside followed by Seren and Siwan. “She’s digesting.”

“What’s wrong, sweet girl, what have you eaten?” Seren asked softly, placing her hand on the console and looking up at the Rotor worriedly.

“But she can’t have eaten anything bad.” Siwan said. “We haven’t gone anywhere except Cardiff, the supernova and back here in the past 6 weeks.”

“Donna?” The Doctor called to the redheaded bride still outside. “You’ve really gotta think.” He plugged a stethoscope into his ears and put the metal piece along different parts of the console to try and listen inside. “Is there anything that might’ve caused this?”

“Anything you might have done?” Seren asked over her shoulder, looking at the Doctor worriedly as he continued using the stethoscope. “Have you had any sort of alien contact? If you have, you can’t go wandering off, you could pose a danger.”

“Have you – Have you seen lights in the sky or did you touch something?” The Doctor asked with a frown. “Something different or something strange? Something made out of a sort of metal or –”

“Donna, who are you getting married to?” Seren asked, cutting through the Doctor’s rambling. “Are you sure he’s human?”

“He’s not overweight with a zip around his forehead, is he?” The Doctor asked.

“Donna, are you okay?” Siwan asked, looking at the redhead and drawing the couples’ attention to her as well.

The redhead had poked her head in through the doors and was staring at the three time travelers with wide eyes, completely shell-shocked. She gasped, stumbling backwards and covered her mouth with her hands. She shook her head, her eyes wide and grabbed the folds of her dress before whirling around and running away.

“Donna!” Seren shouted as she ran after her, Siwan and the Doctor right behind her.

They caught up with her a few feet away from the TARDIS, the redhead not being as experienced in running in high heels and dresses as Seren and Siwan were.

“Donna.” The Doctor said gently, falling into step with her with Seren beside him. Siwan on the bride’s other side.

“Leave me alone, I just want to get married.” Donna said tiredly, waving trying to get away from them and their strangeness.

“Come back to the TARDIS.” The Doctor said gently as they walked down the street.

“No way.” Donna refused. “That box is too… weird.”

“Idris is just bigger on the inside, that’s all.” Siwan said, looking up at Donna with large, innocent eyes.

“Oh, is that all?” Donna asked with a scoff, laughing dryly. She shook her head warily. “Just… leave me alone.”

“Please, at least let us make sure you get to the church safely.” Seren said.

Donna sighed, looking as though she was contemplating it at seeing the earnest and pleading looks on the two Welshwomen’s faces.

“Ten past three.” She said despairingly, looking at her wristwatch. “I’m going to miss it.”

“You can phone them.” The Doctor suggested, remembering all the times Seren and Siwan did exactly the same thing. “Tell them where you are.”

“How do I do that?” Donna asked, looking at him irritatedly.

“You can use Astraea or Aludra’s mobiles.” The Doctor said, looking at his girlfriend and his daughter.

“We didn’t grab our purses when we left the TARDIS.” Siwan said sheepishly, showing him her adorned wrist sans drawstring bag.

“That’s got to be a first.” The Doctor muttered, wincing when Seren elbowed him for the comment as he turned to Donna. “Haven’t _you_ got a mobile?”

He knew that pretty much everyone on Earth had a mobile of some sort by the 21st Century, so to him, it seemed like a simple thing to ask. Unfortunately, Donna didn’t think so.

“I’m in my wedding dress!” She hissed, rounding on him. “It doesn’t have pockets! Who has pockets?” Seren and Siwan stepped back, giggling quietly and watching as the furious redhead tore into the Time Lord. “Have you ever seen a bride with pockets?” The Doctor scratched his ear uncomfortably, wincing at the rising volume of the redhead’s voice. “When I went to my fitting at Chez Alison, the one thing I forgot to say was ‘give me _pockets_ ’!”

“I like her.” Siwan said through her giggles.

“Me, too.” Seren agreed, giggling lightly.

“This man you’re marrying… what’s his name?” The Doctor asked, wincing at the ringing in his ears from Donna’s shouting.

Just like that, it was as though a switch had been flipped and Donna went from furious spitfire to blushing bride.

“Lance.” Donna said with a dreamy smile, a slight blush on her face.

“Good luck, Lance.” The Doctor muttered.

“Oi!” Donna shouted indignantly, wagging her finger at him furiously. “No stupid Martians are gonna stop me from getting married.” She picked up her skirts and began walking away. “To hell with you!”

“We’re – We’re not – We’re not – We’re not from Mars.” The Doctor sighed feebly.

“Come on, let’s go find her.” Seren said, grabbing the Doctor’s hand with one hand and holding up her skirts with the other.

They ran after Donna, quickly catching up to her at the curb of a busy street.

“Taxi!” She shouted as a taxi drove past her. “Why’s his light on?” She asked frustrated, seeing no passenger in the cab.

“There’s another one!” Siwan yelled, pointing at a taxi a short distance away.

“Taxi!” Donna yelled as they stumbled onto the road in an effort to catch the cabbie’s attention. It didn’t work, the cabbie ignoring them as he drove past. “Oi!”

“There’s one!” Seren yelled, running towards it and trying to flag it down, only for it to drive past without a second glance.

“OI!” Donna shouted angrily, barely keeping herself from stamping her heeled foot on the concrete.

“Do you have this effect on _everyone_?” The Doctor asked Donna as they stepped back onto the curb and off the road.

“I don’t understand, why aren’t they stopping?” Siwan asked as yet another taxi drove past them barely a second glance.

“They think I’m in fancy dress.” Donna replied.

A taxi drove past, the cabbie honking his horn. “Stay off the scotch, darlin’!”

“They think I’m drunk!”’ Donna exclaimed indignantly.

Two men drove past in a blue car, the driver honking his horn as they said in unison, “You’re fooling no one, mate!”

“They think I’m in _drag_!” Donna said incredulously, glaring at the two men until they were out of sight.

The redhead turned her glare onto the Doctor when she noticed him looking at her appraisingly.

“Hold on.” Seren said, putting her index finger and thumb into her mouth, ready to whistle for a taxi.

“Wait a minute. Ada, do you have money on you for a cab fare?” Siwan asked before Seren could let out the shrill whistle, looking at the Doctor since Donna was in her wedding dress and didn’t have pockets.

Her and Seren still had access to their bank accounts, Siwan even having hers joined with Adam’s, but with their purses in the TARDIS, neither actually had any money on them.

The Doctor shook her head, looking sheepishly at Siwan.

“We can explain to the cabbie that we can give him the money when we reach the church.” Seren suggested as Donna began to get more and more frustrated as time passed.

“Should work.” Donna said, nodding.

Seren turned back to the road and put her fingers back into her mouth, letting out a loud, shrill whistle. Donna winced and covered her ears at the noise while the Doctor and Siwan weren’t even fazed in the slightest.

However, the whistle worked and caught the attention of a cabbie who stopped in front of them.

“St. Mary’s in Chiswick, just off Hayden Road.” Donna told the driver as the four of them piled into the back seat. They were completely cramped until the Doctor pulled Seren into his lap and Siwan leaned forward. “It’s an emergency, I’m getting married! Just… hurry up!”

“You know it’ll cost you, sweetheart?” The cabbie replied, starting to drive. “Double rates today.”

“Yeah, about that.” Siwan said, causing the cabbie to look at her through the rear-view mirror. “We haven’t any money on us, but we can pay you when we reach the church.”

The cabbie looked at her for a moment before turning around and stopping at the curb where he had picked them up.

“Out.” He said.

Donna let loose a stream of insults at the cabbie as they piled out of the taxi.

“…and that goes double for your Mother!” She finished, standing on the curb and glaring at the cabbie. The cabbie ignored her and drove off as soon as the door was closed. “I’ll have him. I’ve got his number. I’ll have him.” She vowed. “Talk about the Christmas spirit.”

“Is it Christmas?” The Doctor asked, looking around and noticing the festive decorations and the Sale signs in shop windows.

“Apparently.” Seren said quietly, looking around and seeing the decorations as well.

“Well, duh.” Donna replied, looking around the busy street. “Maybe not on Mars, but here it’s Christmas Eve.”

“It’s been six months.” Siwan said quiet voice and Seren reached out to take her hand, holding it comfortingly in her own.

“Phone box!” Donna yelled, spotting the telephone booth in the distance and running towards it. Seren, Siwan and the Doctor quickly caught up to her, running alongside her. “We can reverse the charges.”

“How come you’re getting married on Christmas Eve?” The Doctor asked, completely confused.

“Can’t bear it, I hate Christmas.” Donna replied. “Honeymoon in Morocco. Sunshine, lovely.” Seren reached the telephone booth first and opened the door, letting Donna inside. “What’s the operator?” She asked, picking up the phone and looking at them. “I haven’t done this in years. What d’you dial? 100?”

“Just – Just call direct.” The Doctor said, flashing the screwdriver at the phone before Siwan or Seren could reply.

“What’d you just do?” Donna asked, looking at him startled as the dial-tone echoed through the receiver.

“Something… Martian.” Seren said as the Doctor looked around distractedly. “Phone your family, we’ll get money. Aludra, come on. You’re not leaving my sight.”

She lifted her skirt with one hand and sprinted off towards the nearest cash machine, the Doctor and Siwan sprinting on either side of her.

“As soon as Donna’s done, I’m calling Adam.” Siwan said as they joined the cue for the cash machine, one person ahead of them. “I need to hear his voice, know that he’s okay.”

Siwan looked up at the sky with a sigh, missing her beloved immortal dearly. They had been together while they were in Cardiff following the Battle, but when the connection to Rose had been established, he had opted to stay with Rhiannon and the kids.

The Doctor began getting impatient as the person in front of them took his time completing his transaction.

“Yeah, I’ll call Rhi. See how she’s holding up.” Seren said softly, her voice pained.

Hearing Siwan’s sad sigh and Seren’s pained voice, he turned to them and took their hands into his own, holding tightly and giving them what comfort he could. As painful as it was for him to lose Rose, Jackie, Mickey and Johnny, he knew it far worse for Seren and Siwan as they had known them for a lot longer. He was used to losing people, as painful as it was each time he did, he was used to it and so was Adam, however Seren, Siwan, Rhiannon and the kids weren’t.

“We’re gonna be okay.” He said softly, pressing a kiss on both of their foreheads, one after another. “Together.”

“Together.” Seren and Siwan repeated softly in unison.

The man in front of them completed his transaction and walked away. The Doctor let Seren and Siwan go and stepped up to the machine and discreetly used his sonic screwdriver on it, skipping through the preamble and going straight to the ‘Please take your cash’ screen. Tucking his screwdriver back into his pocket he took the money and put it into his pocket as well.

Siwan glanced around the street and noticed a trio of Santas nearby, playing God Rest Ye Merry on brass instruments.

“Nana, Ada!” Siwan cried in alarm, drawing their attention and pointing to the Santas. “Pilot fish!”

“Where’s Donna?” Seren asked, looking towards the telephone box and seeing that the bride was no longer inside.

“Taxi!” They heard Donna shout.

“There!” The Doctor shouted, turning to the sound of the redhead’s voice and pointing to the road where a taxi pulled up to her.

Donna looked through the passenger window and was spoke to the driver. She opened the back door of the taxi and turned back to them.

“Thanks for nothing, Spaceman!” She yelled.  

“Spaceman?” Siwan repeated, cocking her head to the side and absently wondering how many nicknames Donna could come up with for her father.

“I’ll see you three in court!” Donna added before getting into the taxi and slamming the door shut.

The taxi headed off, turning to merge onto the road when they caught sight of the driver – a Santa.

“Donna!” The three of them shouted in unison, running after the taxi only to lose it within seconds as it quickly merged onto the road and blended in with the traffic.

The trio of Santas stopped playing and lowered their instruments, aiming them as weapons at the Doctor, Seren and Siwan.

“Oh, this didn’t end very well the last time.” Siwan moaned, moving backwards slowly, away from the Santas.

The Doctor ran back the ATM and sonicked it, causing banknotes to fly out from it at a rapid pace and into the air. While people rushed about to try and grab the flying notes, the Doctor grabbed Seren and Siwan’s hands so they wouldn’t get separated and the three ran back to the TARDIS.

The Doctor pulled out his key and frantically opened the door, running inside and up to the console with Seren and Siwan half a step behind him. Siwan moved to the side, staying by the jump seat while the Doctor and Seren ran around the console, pushing buttons, flipping levers and turning dials – working frantically but still in complete sync with each other.

The engines groaned as they were pushed to their maximum limit, the TARDIS shaking violently as they flew through the Vortex.

Seren hurriedly worked at the monitor, setting up the tracking system to track Donna while the Doctor piloted them.

“Where is she?” The Doctor asked, looking over at Seren from across the console.

“She’s pulling onto the flyover.” Seren replied, watching a red dot slowly move of the curved line and onto the straight one that indicated the flyover.

Siwan clung to the back of the jump seat and watched as the couple worked, seemingly unfazed by the violent shaking of the TARDIS.

Sparks erupted from the console as the TARDIS tilted dangerously to the side. Seren ducked the shower before returning to the monitor, one hand holding tightly to the console so she wouldn’t lose her footing.

“Aludra, hold tight!” Seren called to the sapphire-eyed Welshwoman behind her.

“Believe me, I’m trying!” Siwan yelled, her knuckles going white from the grip she had on the back of the jump seat while trying to avoid the shower of sparks that flew through the room.

“Behave!” The Doctor snapped, grabbing a mallet and whacking the console as it sent up another shower of sparks.

“Did you just _hit_ her?!” Seren asked the Doctor indignantly.

“It worked, didn’t it?” He replied, shooting her a quick grin before turning back to the console as the TARDIS dropped out of the Vortex and bounced off the tarmac several feet away from the taxi carrying Donna.

“Aludra, I need you to navigate while your mother and I get Donna.” The Doctor said, beckoning the younger woman over to him.

Seren carefully weaved them through the traffic while the Doctor quickly explained to Siwan what to do.

“…and when I say, adjust this lever here.” He finished, pointing to a black handled lever in front of her.

“Got it.” Siwan said, holding onto the console tightly with one hand while hovering her other hand over the lever.

“We’re right beside the taxi!” Seren called, running towards the doors.

The Doctor kissed Siwan’s forehead quickly before running to the doors, reaching just as Seren threw them open. They both stood in the doorway, holding opposite sides of the door tightly with the wind blowing through their hair.

Donna looked up at them with a dumbfounded expression on her face, pressed against the window of the taxi.

“Open the door!” Seren yelled to the redhead, holding onto one side of the door tightly.

“Do what?” Donna shouted, shaking her head to express that she couldn’t hear.

“Open the door!” Seren repeated, raising her voice even louder.

“I can’t!” Donna shouted, banging on the door and shaking her head. “It’s locked!”

The Doctor held the door frame tightly with one hand and used the other to pull the screwdriver out of his pocket. He flashed it at the door, allowing Donna to push the window open.

“Santa’s a robot!” She exclaimed, incredulous.

“Donna, _open_ the _door!”_ The Doctor shouted.

“What for?!” Donna shouted back.

“You’ve got to jump!” Seren shouted.

“I'm not bleedin’ flip _jumping_.” Donna shouted incredulously. “I'm supposed to be getting married!”

The taxi sped up and overtook the TARDIS.

“Aludra, pull the lever!” The Doctor shouted over his shoulder, keeping his gaze on the taxi carrying Donna.

Siwan did so, speeding them up to give chase. She bit back a scream when the console sent up several showers of sparks, jumping back to avoid the spray while a bang echoed through the console room.

“Ada, I can’t keep her at this speed!” Siwan shouted.

“Just hold on for a bit longer!” Seren shouted as the TARDIS bumped the roof of the car in front of them. “Lift us up a little higher!”

“Press the button on the left side of the lever!” The Doctor shouted.

Siwan pressed the button in question, raising them a few feet above the cars that were on the flyway. She had to duck another shower of sparks, hissing in pain as several landed on her hands, burning them.

The TARDIS caught up to the taxi again, hovering alongside it. The Doctor and Seren struggled to remain on their feet as the box jolted several times, nearly tossing them out in the process.

“Sorry!” Siwan yelled apologetically.

“Never mind us!” Seren yelled back as the Doctor aimed his screwdriver at the robot Santa. “Just keep us in the air and alongside the taxi!”

He flashed the screwdriver at the Santa, disabling it and causing it to clamp its hands onto the steering wheel.

“Listen to me!” The Doctor shouted. “You’ve _got to_ jump!”

“I’m not jumping on a motorway!” Donna shouted back indignantly.

“Whatever that thing is, Donna, it needs you!” Seren shouted. “And whatever it needs you _for_ , I can guarantee you that it’s not good!”

“Donna, jump!” Siwan yelled from beside the console, gritting her teeth as she struggled to keep them in the air.

Siwan, even in her past life, had never really done much piloting except for fun when they were drifting through the Vortex. She had only been 4 years old at the time of the War, when she had died in the early days, and though she had a good chunk of her memories, she no longer had the Time Lord brain, rendering her unable to remember the finer details, much like human children who only had vague memories of childhood. She had been too small to actually reach many of the controls to begin with, having to be held up by her father as he explained the basics to her.

With her now having only the barest echoes of her memories, she may as well be flying completely blind since she was relying completely on Idris to keep them from crashing.

“I’m in my wedding dress!” Donna shouted.

“Yes, you look lovely!” He shouted exasperatedly. “Come on!”

Donna took a breath and opened the door, holding tightly to the railing as the wind blew around her.

Seren held her arms out to the older woman while the Doctor held her waist with one hand and the door frame with the other.

Donna looked at the tarmac speeding past beneath the car, her heart racing and fear filling her from the depths of her soul.

“I can’t do it!” Donna shouted, the fear inside her etched across her face.

“Trust me.” Seren said gently and calmly, the words carrying over to the redhead through the wind rushing around them.

“Is that what you said to _her_?” Donna asked, looking up at the strange and beautiful couple that were trying to save her. “Your god-sister? Did _she_ trust you?”

“Yes, she did.” Seren replied, swallowing hard against the pain and sorrow that once again threatened to consume her. She steeled her emotions and looked to the redhead. “And she’s _not_ dead. She is so _alive_! Now jump!”

Donna took a breath, feeling a sense of calm fill her at the tiny Welshwoman’s words. With a scream, she jumped out of the taxi and straight into Seren’s arms, inadvertently causing all three of them to fall to the ground with the Doctor lying flat on his back with both women on top of him.

“Get us out of here!” The Doctor shouted, his voice strained from the weight of Seren and Donna on top of him.

Seren kicked the doors shut and Siwan, with Idris guiding her, pressed several buttons on the console and piloted them into the sky, landing on a nearby building.

“ _Cariad_ , you did it!” Seren exclaimed happily, getting to her feet and running to her sister/ daughter. She slowed to a stop when she saw Siwan examining her hands, small burn marks evident against the snow-white skin. “What happened?”

“The console exploded when I was trying to catch up with the taxi.” Siwan admitted as the Doctor and Donna came up to them.

“Let me see.” The Doctor said, holding his hand out to the younger woman.

Siwan put her small hands in his larger ones and he tenderly probed the burns, examining them carefully.

“I’m sorry.” Donna said, feeling guilty at the sweet young women getting hurt while trying to save her.

“It’s okay.” Siwan said reassuringly, a bright smile on her face. “Believe it or not, I’ve had much worse.”

“Don’t remind me.” The Doctor growled darkly, pulling two white handkerchiefs out of his pocket and wrapping them around her hands securely. He gently kissed each hand before letting go and stepping away from her. “Keep the handkerchiefs on for a few hours, they’ll-”

“Keep the wounds from getting infected.” Siwan cut him off and finished the sentence. “I _know,_ Ada.”

“Ay, he’s worried about you.” Seren chided gently. “However, that was some pretty impressive flying. Great work.”

“Thanks.” Siwan said cheerfully. A small fire erupted on the console and she winced. “Okay, maybe not so great flying.” She muttered sheepishly.

“Considering you haven’t flown in over two decades, I’d say that was pretty impressive.” The Doctor said reassuringly, grabbing the fire extinguisher and spraying it on the console. The spray doused the fire, but the dark smoke still hung heavily in the air. “We’d better get out before the smoke fills the room completely.”

The women, all coughing, nodded in agreement and hurried out of the TARDIS, Seren and Siwan remembering to grab their drawstring purses so they didn’t end up in a similar situation to the one they had just had. The Doctor turned on the extractor fans before following the women out and onto the roof.

“Funny thing is…” He said, turning away from the TARDIS to find Donna standing a few feet away from the TARDIS with Seren and Siwan on either side of her, the bride staring despondently into the air. “For a spaceship, she doesn’t really do that much… flying. We’d better give her a couple of hours.”

“Are you going to be all right?” Siwan asked gently, looking up at the pretty redhead.

Seren and Siwan had their drawstring purses* hanging from their wrists, matching their lehengas. Seren’s was amethyst purple with silver embroidery while Siwan’s was dark blue with light gold embroidery.

“Doesn’t matter.” Donna replied with a shrug.

“Did we miss it?” The Doctor asked, realizing what had the bride so upset.

He joined the three women, standing beside Seren and looking over her head at the bride.

“Yeah.” Donna replied sadly.

“You can always book another date.” Seren said optimistically, thinking of how many tries it took for Johnny and Rhiannon to finally get married with all the times their parents ended up getting called back to work.

“’Course we can.” Donna said, not quite as optimistic as the Chosen One.

“You’ve still got the honeymoon.” The Doctor said, taking a page out of his girlfriend and his daughter’s book and trying to cheer the despondent bride up.

“It’s just a holiday now.” Donna said softly.

“Yeah… yeah.” The Doctor said softly, wrapping his arm around Seren’s waist. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault.” Donna said, waving away the apology.

“Oh? That’s a change.” The Doctor said, chuckling lightly.

Donna gave a small smile, seeing what he had meant.

“Wish you had a time machine.” Donna said, brushing away strands of red hair that were being blown in her face by the wind. “Then we could go back and get it right.”

“Yeah, yeah.” The Doctor said, glancing at the TARDIS for a second before looking back at Donna. “But… even if we did, we couldn’t go back on someone’s personal timeline. Apparently.”

Seren looked at him with a raised eyebrow, Siwan shooting him the same look behind Donna’s back. He gave them a sheepish look in return and shrugged his shoulders imperceptibly.

Donna shot him an almost suspicious look before sighing quietly, walking towards the edge of the roof. She sat down at the ledge, dangling her legs over the side. She looked out over the city, seeing the typical hustle and bustle below her as people rushed about to get their last minute Christmas shopping done.

Seren, Siwan and the Doctor exchanged glances before walking towards her. The two Welshwomen sat on either side of the redhead while the Doctor paused and removed his coat, wrapping it around Donna’s shoulders to protect her from the December chill.

“God, you’re skinny.” Donna commented as the Doctor sat down on Seren’s other side. “This wouldn’t fit a rat.”

“Oh, and you’d better put this on.” The Doctor said, pulling a simple gold wedding ring out from his pocket and leaning around Seren to hold it out to the bride.

“Oh, do you _have_ to rub it in?” Donna asked irritatedly, looking at him with an expression that bordered on a glare. “And why are you handing _me_ that ring and not Astraea?”

“Donna, it’s a bio-damper.” Seren explained gently, a light blush painting her delicate cheeks at the redhead’s comment about the ring. “Those creatures can trace you and hopefully, the ring will keep you hidden.”

“Oh, what the hell.” Donna sighed, holding her left hand out to the Doctor.

“With this ring, I thee bio-damp.” The Doctor said playfully, popping the ‘p’ as he slipped the unassuming ring onto the redhead’s left ring finger.

“For better or for worse.” Siwan joked lightly with a smile.

“Yeah.” Donna said laughing. “So, come on then. Robot Santas… what are they for?”

“Honey, you want to answer this one?” The Doctor asked, looking at Siwan with a tender expression on his face.

“Okay.” Siwan chirped, turning to Donna. “They’re basic robo-scavengers. Pilot Fish, really. The Father Christmas stuff is just a disguise to allow them to blend in.”

“We met them last Christmas.” The Doctor commented.

“Oh, yeah. That Christmas definitely gave a new meaning to the term ‘chaotic Christmas’.” Seren muttered, shuddering lightly as she remembered the fear and the sorrow and the uncertainty that had shrouded them.

The Doctor tightened his hold on her shoulders, drawing her towards him comfortingly.

“Why? What happened then?” Donna asked, seeing their reactions.

“Great big spaceship, hovering over London?” The Doctor asked, looking at her over Seren’s head with a raised eyebrow. “You didn’t notice?”

“I had a bit of a hangover.” Donna said, shrugging.

“We spent Christmas Day just over there.” Siwan said, her voice tinged with sadness and remembrance. She pointed in the distance where they could see the tops of the Estate buildings. “At the Powell Estate, with the family.”

“Our own patchwork family.” The Doctor said with a quiet sigh. Seren took his free hand and interlocked their fingers, giving comfort as well as drawing it from him. “Still… half of them are gone now.”

The sound of ‘Claire de Lune’ by Debussy filled the air, startling the time travelling trio out of their rapidly despairing thoughts.

“Oh, that’s me.” Siwan said, rummaging through her purse and pulling out her mobile. Looking at the caller ID, she smiled brightly. “It’s Adam.” She pressed the answer icon on the flat screen and put the mobile to her ear, “Adam?” There was a pause where they heard the faint sound of Adam’s cultured European accent filter through the mouthpiece. Siwan looked over at them, the mobile still at her ear, “I’ll be by the TARDIS.”

The Doctor and Seren nodded as Siwan got to her feet and moved away from them to have some privacy while she spoke with her beloved.

“Adam is her…?” Donna started before trailing off, looking at the couple beside her.

“Her boyfriend.” Seren replied.

“This girl you lost, was she your god-sister or Aludra’s?” Donna asked gently, remembering what Seren had said when she found the purple blouse.

“Both of ours.” Seren replied quietly, leaning into the Doctor’s comforting embrace.

“How can that be if Aludra is your daughter?” Donna asked, confused.

“It’s complicated.” The Doctor said, not wanting to get into the details that likely wouldn’t make sense to the redhead. “But the question right now is, what do camouflaged robot mercenaries want with you?”

“And how did you get inside the TARDIS?” Seren asked with a frown.

One thing that worried her the most was how the redhead was able to get from Earth, across several galaxies and star systems and into the TARDIS, _through_ the defenses and shields that had been in place to protect them from the supernova. Granted, they had to tweak the shields and defenses slightly so that they could project their images through the remaining gap, but it wasn’t enough for the human to be able to get through and directly into the Console Room.

“I don’t know…” The Doctor muttered, looking at Donna contemplatively. “What’s your job?”

“I’m a secretary.” Donna replied while the Doctor leaned around Seren and pulled the screwdriver out of his jacket pocket.

“It’s weird.” He commented as he began scanning her, a frown on his face. “I mean, you’re not special, you’re not powerful, you're not connected, you're not clever, you're not importa-”

“I disagree with you, my love.” Seren cut in, shooting him a pointed look.

“Their god-sister, just before she left, did she punch you in the face?” Donna asked, looking at him with an expression that bordered on a glare. She whacked the screwdriver aside irritatedly. “Stop bleeping me!”

Siwan rejoined them, tucking her mobile back into her drawstring bag.

“Adam says hi and he sends his love.” She informed the Doctor and Seren, retaking her seat next to Donna with a bright smile on her face. “He’s back in Cardiff with Rhi and the kids, spending the holiday with them.”

“That’s good.” The Doctor said, nodding in approval.

“How is Rhi doing?” Seren asked, a worried expression on her face.

“She’s doing good.” Siwan replied. “No change from the partial, which is good. Sort of.”

“Definitely.” Seren said quietly. “The last thing the kids need is for her condition to get worse.”

“What’s wrong?” Donna asked gently. “What happened?”

“What kind of secretary are you?” Seren asked instead of answering the question, bringing them back to their previous topic.

“I’m at H.C. Clements.” Donna said. “It’s where I met Lance. I was temping.” She smiled at the memory. “I mean, it was all a bit posh really. I'd spent the last two years at a double glazing firm. Well, I thought…I'm never gonna fit in here. And then he made me a coffee. I mean, that just doesn't happen. Nobody gets the secretaries a coffee. And Lance…he's the head of HR! He don't need to bother with me! But he was nice, he was funny. And it turns out he thought everyone else was really snotty too. So that's how it started, me and him…one cup of coffee. That was it."

Siwan smiled, remembering how she and Adam had finally gotten together as well.

It was a few weeks after Seren had disappeared and she was having a very difficult time juggling school, work and the search for the older girl. Finally, after a particularly long day at work, just as she was packing up her things in the break room so that she could leave for class, the charm bracelet that Seren had given her a few years earlier broke and she broke down completely. Adam had found her almost an hour later and held her comfortingly, letting her cry on his shoulder until she was completely spent before taking her to his place and looking after her for the entire weekend.

“When was this?” Seren asked curiously, drawing Siwan out of her thoughts.

“Six months ago.” Donna replied.

“Bit quick to get married.” The Doctor commented.

“Well… he insisted.” Donna replied, shifting slightly. “And he nagged… and he _nagged_ me… and he just wore me down. And then finally, I just… gave in.”

Siwan sighed almost wistfully.

“Honey, what is it?” The Doctor asked with a small frown, seeing the wistful expression on his daughter’s face.

“Sometimes I wonder if Adam will ever want to get married.” Siwan admitted softly.

The Doctor and Seren exchanged looks, remembering their visits to the future where they had met the future versions of the couple along with their son.

“How long have the two of you been together?” Donna asked curiously, recognizing the look of pure love on the younger woman’s face as she thought about her beloved.

“A little over 2 ½ years.” Siwan replied. “Give or take a few weeks or so.” She shrugged and looked out over the city, the wind blowing through her long hair. “The past few months, I’ve been travelling with Nana and Ada, so it’s a bit difficult to keep track.”

It was quite difficult keeping track of time in the TARDIS, particularly when they were constantly hopping back and forth all over Time and Space.

“And you haven’t talked about getting married?” Donna asked, looking surprised.

“We’ve talked about it.” Siwan said before looking at the Doctor with a grin. “When Ada isn’t around to hear.”

“Damn right when I’m nowhere around.” He muttered.

The few weeks in Cardiff following the Battle of Canary Wharf had really been an eye opener for all of them. The Doctor, while trying to establish a connection and look after Seren as she experienced her change back into a Time Lady, was also facing reawakened emotions and instinctive reactions when it came to Siwan. Namely, the paternal instincts that he thought had been lost when she had died.

Talking about it with what remained of their small patchwork family, they theorized that the instincts had always been there, just going dormant after he lost Astraea and Aludra in the Time War. They had awakened slightly after he and Seren had gotten together, when he began treating her as a younger sister or as his girlfriend’s sister, but it wasn’t until after they lost Rose that he saw just how close he had come to losing both of them again as well. That realization had brought back all the instinctive reactions a Time Lord or Lady would feel regarding their Soulmate, their children and their family in general - from when they were in danger to when they were considering marriage like Adam and Siwan.

“How did the two of you start?” Donna asked curiously, a bright grin on her face.

“Well, I had been completely overwhelmed with school and work and one day, I just… had the mother of all meltdowns after a charm bracelet Nana had given me broke.” Siwan replied, not getting into Seren’s disappearance. “He found me in the break room an hour later and just held me, comforted me, before taking me back to his place so I wouldn't be bombarded by my god-mother and god-sister.” She laughed lightly and shook her head. “He took the weekend off work and stayed home, looking after me and when we got back to work on Monday, he never mentioned it. The only indication was that he was regularly asking me if I was okay and if I needed a break, doing most of the paperwork himself so I could focus more on school; just doing small things to try and making my life easier. But that was when I started seeing him as more than just a good friend of mine and the doctor whose AA I was. A few days later, when I when I was taking his coffee and his lunch to him, I asked him out and we’d been together ever since.”

“Wow.” Donna said in amazement.

“Adam had been in love with her for a long time, but this little one didn’t notice.” The Doctor said teasingly, looking at his daughter with an equally teasing smile.

“Hey, you two were oblivious to each other’s feelings for ages.” Siwan pointed out, gesturing to him and Seren. “Everyone was just about ready to lock you in a room if you didn’t get your heads out of your butts and admit your feelings for each other.”

“Okay, so you’re Astraea’s daughter?” Donna asked confused, looking at Siwan. “And the Doctor’s stepdaughter?”

“No, I’m both of their daughter.” Siwan replied, shaking her head.

“I don’t get it.” Donna said, shaking her head. “You don’t look anything like him, you’re like a carbon copy of your mother except for your eyes.” She rubbed her forehead. “And I’m still having a hard time accepting that you _are_ their daughter, you don’t look much younger than them.”

“We get that a lot.” Siwan said, smiling sheepishly.

“And what about the two of you?” Donna asked, looking at the couple beside her.

Seren and the Doctor looked at each other, small smiles on their faces as they remembered their chaotic past.

“It’s been about 700 years or so.” Seren said with a small smile, turning to look at Donna. “He was mine and my older brother’s best friend, even though he was the same age as my brother.”

“ _700_ years.” Donna repeated numbly, staring at them with her mouth hanging open, utterly shocked at the revelation.

“Give or take a couple decades.” The Doctor said, nodding. He sighed, tightening his hold around Seren’s waist.

“Back on topic, what does H.C Clements do?” Seren asked, bringing them back to their current situation.

“Security systems, entry codes, ID cards.” Siwan replied before Donna could.

“Mind you, if you ask me, I think it’s just a posh name for ‘locksmith’.” Donna remarked. “How did you know about them?”

“I know everything.” Siwan replied with an angelic look on her face. “And H.C. Clements was the company that made the new security system and corresponding access cards for the hospital Adam and I work at.”

“Right.” Donna said, not sure what to make of the younger Welshwoman. “Enough of my CV.” She shook her head. “Come on, it’s time to face the consequences. Oh, this is going to be so shaming. You can do the explaining, Martian boy, Martian-girl.”

“Yeah, we’re not from Mars.” The Doctor said, getting to his feet.

He held his hand out to Seren and she took it, pulling herself up while Donna and Siwan got to their feet as well.

“Oh, I had this great big reception planned.” Donna moaned as the Doctor took his jacket and put it back on. “Everyone is going to be so _heartbroken_.”

~*~

Striding into the reception hall a short time later, they found that Donna was very wrong about her assumption; the party was in full swing, _without_ the bride. The music was blaring and everyone was dancing, drinking, eating or chatting, enjoying themselves.

Donna, frozen in place, stared at the crowd thunderstruck. The feisty redhead folded her arms over her chest and glared at the crowd, not at all happy with what she was seeing. Her mother, dancing with Donna’s father, was the first to notice her and she froze, drawing her husband’s attention to their daughter at the same time. One by one, they noticed her and froze in place, turning to her.

“You had the reception without me.” Donna hissed furiously when all eyes were on her and the music had stopped.

“Donna… what happened to ya?” A dark-skinned man asked, his handsome attire leading the time travelers to believe that he was Donna’s groom.

“You had the reception _without_ me?!” Donna repeated furiously, her voice rising up a notch.

There was an awkward pause as the crowd staring silently at the furious bride.

“Hello!” The Doctor said cheerfully, leaning around Donna’s shoulder. “I’m the Doctor and this is Astraea and Aludra.”

“Hi!” Seren said cheerfully, waving.

“Hello!” Siwan said, waving.

“They had the reception _without_ me!” Donna said furiously, rounding on them.

“Yes, we gathered.” The Doctor said.

“Well it was all paid for, so why not.” A pretty blonde woman in a blue dress said, a rather snobby looking expression on her face.

“Thank you, _Nerys_.” Donna hissed venomously, glaring at the blonde.

“So _that’s_ Nerys.” Seren muttered quietly, causing Siwan and the Doctor to bite back their snorts of laughter.

“Well what were supposed to do?” Donna’s mother, an elegantly dressed blonde woman, said imperiously, stepping forward. “I got your silly little message in the end, ‘I’m on Earth’. Very funny. What the hell happened?” The large crowd stepped closer to Donna, crowding around her. “How did you do it? I mean, what's the trick, because I'd love to know…”

The crowd began talking all at once, the voices a jumble of syncopated noise.

“Where were you the whole time?” The groom asked.

Donna looked at the crowd, the voices and the faces all becoming jumbled together. She suddenly burst into tears, loud sobs racking her frame.

The crowd fell silent except for the sympathetic sigh at the sight of the distraught and overwhelmed bride. The groom stepped forward and drew Donna into a hug, holding her comfortingly and letting her cry on his shoulder. Except Nerys, everyone applauded at the adorable scene while Donna turned her head slightly to the Doctor, Seren and Siwan, shooting them a sly wink.

“Wow, she’s good.” Siwan said quietly, looking utterly impressed at the way the redhead had played the crowd.

“A lot like you.” The Doctor said with a small grin, looking at the younger woman. “You had us all wrapped around your tiny little fingers.”

“Had?” Siwan asked, looking up at him pointedly.

“Oh, sweetie, you still do.” Seren said reassuringly, a small giggle escaping her lips.

“Good.” Siwan said happily.

The party resumed with the DJ playing ‘Love Don’t Roam’, exciting the crowd once again. Donna dragged Lance onto the dance floor and the two began dancing happily with the rest of the crowd joining in a few seconds later.

“May I have this dance?” The Doctor asked, turning to Seren with a tender smile and his hand out.

“You may.” Seren replied with a smile, taking the hand and letting him lead her to the dance floor.

Siwan moved towards the bar asked the bartender for a non-alcoholic cocktail before turning and leaning against it while she waited, watching as her parents danced together a short distance from Donna and Lance.

“Here you are, Miss.” The bartender called, drawing her attention and handing her the colorful drink.

“Thank you.” Siwan said, moving to pay for the drink only to be told that it was an open bar for the duration of the reception. Shrugging in acceptance, she sipped her drink and turned her gaze back onto the dance floor.

Her mind raced as she thought about H.C Clements, something about the company reminded her of something but she couldn’t pinpoint what it was exactly. Shaking her head at her repeated failed attempts to remember, she pulled her mobile out of her purse and discretely used it to do a WAP search for the firm.

“I _knew_ it.” She whispered, her eyes going wide when she saw the result.

Looking up, she frantically tried to find Seren and the Doctor amidst the crowd of dancing bodies. Finding them and catching their attention, she waved them over, her wide-eyed expression hurrying them along.

“What is it, _Cariad_?” Seren asked worriedly when they reached her beside the bar.

“H.C. Clements is owned by Torchwood.” Siwan replied without preamble, showing them her mobile and the results of the search. The Doctor pulled out his glasses and put them on, looking at the screen. “It had been a private company before being bought out by the Institute; outfitting and programming all the alarms and surveillance in the Tower. Clements still does private security, like they did for the hospital, but their sole proprietor is Torchwood.”

The Doctor sighed darkly, remembering all the pain that Torchwood had caused. Unlike Siwan, who held true to the friendships she had made within the Institute and had personally spoken with Rajesh’s family about him being ‘missing’, as well as going to as many of the employees families as she could to inform them in person of the lives that had been lost, he held a seed of hatred in his hearts. While he understood and accepted Siwan’s friendships, and her rightful belief that in the end Torchwood had fought for what was right, he couldn’t help but think that the Battle wouldn’t have happened if Yvonne hadn’t opened the breach in the first place.

He knew that she kept in contact with the survivors, as well as giving them Adam’s contact information so that the Immortal doctor could help them when they needed it. However, he had adamantly told Siwan that he wasn’t about to get involved with what was left of the Institute, not wanting to be manipulated again the way they had already been. Siwan agreed on the condition that he wouldn’t keep her from using the TARDIS to help those that had survived, or even helping the remnants of the Institute and he agreed, so long as they never step foot inside or had access to any of her systems.

“I wonder…” Seren started, looking around the crowd for something and drawing him out of his dark thoughts.

“What is it, my love?” The Doctor asked, looking down at her.

“With this being a wedding, I’m betting that there is also a cameraman taking footage.” Seren explained, still scanning the crowd. “Hopefully, they were able to get footage of Donna as she walked up the aisle. Which she said was when she had been transported into the TARDIS.”

“Good point.” Siwan remarked, her and the Doctor scanning the crowd as well.

“There!” The Doctor said after a few seconds, pointing off to the side of the dance floor where a camera man was standing behind the camera, taping the dancing crowd. “Come on.”

He led the two women around the dance floor to the cameraman, all but accosting the poor man before Seren intervened and asked to see any footage of when Donna had disappeared.

“Oh, I taped the whole thing.” The camera man said, switching the tapes out. “They’ve all had a look. They said sell it to ‘You've Been Framed’. I said, more like the News...” he chuckled lightly. “Here we are.”

He pressed play and the Doctor, Seren and Siwan watched the replay of Donna’s face as she disintegrated into a shower of golden particles with a scream.

“Can’t be!” The Doctor gasped, wide-eyed.

“Play it again, please?” Seren requested.

“Clever, mind!” The cameraman said, nodding and rewinding the shot. “Good trick, I’ll give her that. I was clapping.”

The cameraman pressed play again and they watched the scene again, seeing the same shot of Donna screaming as she disintegrated into a shower of golden particles.

“That looks like… Huon Particles.” Seren said with a frown.

“What’s that then?” The cameraman asked.

“I thought Huon Particles didn’t exist anymore.” Siwan said, looking between the Doctor and Seren.

“They don’t.” Seren said, shaking her head. “Huon energy doesn’t exist anymore… not for billions of years!”

“But if it’s that old, that would mean…” Siwan started, her eyes going wide in alarm.

“It can’t be hidden by a bio-damper!” The Doctor and Seren exclaimed in unison, their gaze going to Donna’s bio-damper ring.

The three exchanged looks and the Doctor ran out of the room.

“Thank you for your help.” Seren said to the cameraman with a smile.

The cameraman smiled back as Seren and Siwan whipped around and ran out of the room. The Doctor came barreling down the stairs just as they reached the staircase.

“They’re here!” He shouted, running past them and into the hall. Seren and Siwan exchanged looks and ran behind him. “Donna!” The three of them ran across the dance floor and up to the bride and groom, halting their dance abruptly. “Donna, they found you.”

“But you said I was safe.” Donna protested.

“The bio-damper doesn’t work.” Seren said hurriedly, looking around at the crowd that was still unaware of the danger they were in.

“We have to get everyone out.” Siwan said. “Fast.”

“My God, it’s all my family.” Donna said worriedly, looking around at the crowd.

“Out the back door!” Siwan yelled, running out of the room with the Doctor, Donna and Seren following her. They ran through the hall and out through the terrace’s double doors only to stop short – a pair of Santas were stalking up the path. “Then again, maybe not.”

They slammed the doors closed and ran back into the ballroom, running to the French doors that were located near the back. Donna lifted the curtain and they peaked out.

“We’re trapped.” The redhead said quietly, seeing another pair of Santas stalking towards them, one lifting up a remote control.

“Christmas trees.” Siwan hissed, looking from the remote control to the Christmas tree that stood just off the dance floor.

“What about them?” Donna asked, looking at the smaller woman.

“They kill!” The Doctor replied before raising his voice and shouting, “Get away from the tree!”

“Don’t touch the tree!” Donna shouted, she, Seren and Siwan shepherding the children away from the decorated plant.

“Get away from the trees!” Seren yelled, picking up a small child and moving her away from the tree.

“Everyone get away from the trees!” The Doctor yelled to the crowd, drawing their attention to him.

“Don’t touch the tree!” Siwan shouted, herding several people away from the trees.

“Stay away from the trees!” The Doctor yelled towards a group of people that were still by the trees.

“Oh, for God’s sake, the man’s an idiot.” Sylvia said imperiously. “What harm’s a Christmas tree gonna – oh.” She cut herself off, looking at the tree in amazement and wonder.

The Doctor, Seren and Siwan turned to the tree and saw the baubles that had decorated the tree float up. The crowd began whispering, pointing up at the baubles in wonder and amazement. For several seconds, they stayed hovering in the air before starting to zoom around the room rapidly and exploding loudly whenever they hit something.

Panicked, the crowd screamed and began running in several directions, trying to avoid the baubles and the explosions. The small explosions preceded several equally small fires as a bauble landed on the presents and sent the neatly wrapped packages flying into the air. One man, while trying to avoid another explosion, was thrown through the air and straight onto the cake.

Donna and Siwan ran and ducked behind a table, the redhead pulling Lance down beside them when she saw him. Seren and the Doctor, while running to avoid the baubles themselves, ended up behind the DJ’s stand.

Seren and the Doctor peaked out over the DJ stand and saw the Santas, six of them, standing in a line, eerily reminiscent to a firing squad.

“Last year, you used the screwdriver on them.” Seren said hurriedly, her eyes trained firmly on the Santas. “What was it you did?”

“Tried to jam the radio signals.” The Doctor replied. “But there are a lot more this time.”

“Then we amplify your range.” Seren said, jumping to her feet and starting to flip switches on the sound system in front of them.

“You are brilliant and I love you!” The Doctor cried with a bright grin, shooting to his feet and turning to the Santas. “OI! SANTA! Word of advice! If you're attacking a man with a sonic screwdriver,” he flipped the microphone in the air before grabbing it and holding it to his mouth, “ _don't let him near the sound system!_ ”

He jammed the screwdriver into the deck causing wave after wave of harmonics to resonate through the speakers, filling the room with a high-pitched pulse wave. The horrible feedback sound had everyone covering their ears tightly, including Seren who was standing right beside one of the speakers. The high-pitched noise caused the Santas to shake violently, cogs and sparks flying from the robots as they literally fell to pieces.

Once the last of the Santas fell, the Doctor removed his screwdriver from the deck, sending the room into blissful silence.

Seren slowly got to her feet, rubbing her ears and wincing at the ringing sound. The Doctor darted towards her and she looked up at him.

“I think I blew my eardrums!” She said loudly, rubbing her ears.

“You.” The Doctor said, wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her flush against him. “Are.” He kissed her forehead tenderly. “Absolutely.” He pressed another tender kiss to her nose. “Brilliant.”

He captured her lips in a deep kiss, moving his free hand behind her head and holding her in place. She wrapped her arms around his neck and held him close, tangling her fingers into his short, spiky hair. Their lips moved in synchronized movements, both reaffirming that the other was _alive_.

They slowly pulled apart and Seren blushed brightly, realizing that they had an audience. Granted said audience was more invested in picking themselves up off the ground and reassuring themselves and each other of everyone’s safety, but that didn’t stop the rather delectable blush from filling the recently turned Time Lady’s cheeks radiantly.

The Doctor winked cheekily at her and vaulted over the DJ stand, skidding to a stop beside the pieces of the robots.

“It’s all right, Stan.” Donna’s father, Geoff, said reassuringly to one of the guests who was cradling his shoulder. “You’ll be all right. It’s all over.”

Siwan got to her feet and made her way to the man, Stan, and crouched beside him.

“I’ve got First Aid training, would you like me to help you?” Siwan asked her voice gentle and reassuring.

Stan nodded and let Siwan gently probe his arm, holding back the hiss of pain when she touched his particularly tender shoulder. Finding it to be dislocated, her and Geoff worked together to get the limb back into place, Stan barely managing to hold back his scream of pain, and wrapping the limb in a sling made out of a nearby table cloth.

“Michael?” Donna called, running to a few children that were huddled together nearby. “Connie?” She looked off to the side and called out to another child, “Oh, Senita, do something useful.”

The Doctor picked up the remote control the Santas were using and looked at it.

Seren glanced at him before making her way towards another guest, this one clutching her leg that was clearly broken, though thankfully there was no bone protruding out from the muscle.

“I’ve got First Aid training, would you like me to help you?” Seren asked in a gentle voice, crouching beside the teenager.

The teenager nodded, gasping in pain.

At the consent, Seren proceeded to help her. All the while, she kept up a stream of chatter to distract the girl from her pain.

”But what was it?” Lance asked in confusion, looking at the Santas from behind the table. “What _were_ they?”

“Just stop wittering.” Donna snapped. “Just help them.”

“Look at that.” The Doctor called, his voice loud enough for Seren and Siwan to hear a few feet away. “Remote control for the decorations, but there’s a second remote control for the robots.”

“That would mean they’re not scavengers anymore.” Siwan pointed out, glancing over her shoulder at him before returning her attention to the person she was helping.

“I think someone’s taken possession.” The Doctor remarked, examining one of the Santas disabled heads.

“So the question is, _who_.” Seren said, glancing at her beloved before turning back to the cameraman she was helping.

“Never mind all that.” Donna cut in, looking down at the Doctor who was crouched beside the robots. “You’re a doctor, people have been hurt.”

“They wanted you alive Donna.” Siwan called, picking up a bauble that was next to her and tossing it to the bride. Donna caught it on instinct and held it gingerly. “The baubles aren’t active anymore.”

“All the same, he could help.” Donna snapped, looking at Siwan.

“Ada, you gonna make use of your medical degree?” Siwan called, looking at the Time Lord.

“Got to think of the bigger picture, Donna.” The Doctor said, ignoring Siwan’s quip as he held the head to his ear and listened. “There’s a signal! Come on!”

He shot to his feet and ran out of the room, the remote and the head still in his hands.

Seren turned to the guest she was assisting.

“Will you be okay, now?” She asked gently.

“Yes, thank you, dear.” The elderly man replied, not physically injured but more in shock than anything else.

“Okay, if you feel any worse, or you don’t feel better in a few hours, go to the hospital and get checked out.” Seren advised. “I’m not a medical doctor, I only have First Aid training.”

The man nodded his understanding and Seren got to her feet, grabbing her purse before leaving the room. Siwan followed her, giving the same advice to the person she was tending to.

“Come on Donna!” Siwan called over her shoulder, seeing the bride look torn between her family and her new friends who were constantly saving her.

Donna took one last look at her family before she lifted her skirt and start to follow them.

“Donna, who are they?” Sylvia’s quiet voice halted the redhead before she had gone even a few steps. Donna turned to look at her mother. “Who are they?”

Donna didn’t reply, not having any answer to give. All she knew was that the three people that just left, the ‘Martian’s’, were the only people that could help her fix whatever it was that’s inside her. Not able to explain this to her mother, she turned and ran out of the hall, quickly catching up with the Doctor, Seren and Siwan outside.

“There’s someone behind this.” The Doctor muttered, scanning the robot head with his screwdriver while Seren held the remote control. “Directing the robo-forms.”

“By why is it me?” Donna asked, her tone borderline despairing. “What have I done?”

“If we find the controller, we can find that out.” Seren said reassuringly, putting a hand on the older woman’s arm.

“Ooh!” The Doctor exclaimed, holding the screwdriver up. “It’s up there.” He looked up at the cloudless blue sky. “Something in the sky.”

He pulled the screwdriver back and started shaking it and banging it against his arm, a frustrated expression on his face.

The sound of sirens heralded the arrival of the ambulances, the paramedics getting out and running into the building, paying no mind to the Doctor, Seren, Siwan or Donna.

“Okay, so we have _something_ up there, something that we’re going to assume is intelligent, broadcasting a radio signal that’s controlling the robo-forms, which in turn are tracking Donna. And the reason they’re tracking Donna, the reason they’re _fixated_ on her, is because she’s been dosed with Huon Particles somehow, Particles that shouldn’t even exist anymore. Said Particles are also how she managed to teleport into the TARDIS while we were still in flight, orbiting a supernova.” Siwan summarized. “Am I missing anything?”

“No, that just about covers it.” The Doctor replied, shooting her a bright grin.

“We find the controller, we can hopefully find out _how_ Donna had been dosed, _why_ she had been dosed, and how the hell they were able to recreate the Particles in the first place.” Seren added.

“You know, when brides say they want their weddings to be memorable, this isn’t quite what they typically mean.” Donna said, gesturing to the robot head in the Doctor’s hand before catching sight of Lance by the ambulance and walking towards him.

“Tell me about it.” Seren muttered, vaguely remembering what her wedding to the Doctor had been like, in her previous life.

"Oh, I remember the stories Uncle Kos used to tell us.” Siwan said, laughing lightly. “Ada was late for his own wedding.”

“Hey, a lot was happening that day.” The Doctor said defensively, shaking the screwdriver and whacking it against his arm. “Oh, no, no, no, no! I lost the signal!” He ran to Donna and Lance, Seren and Siwan right behind him. “Donna, we need to get to your office, H.C Clements. I think that might be where all of this got started.” He turned to the groom, who was watching with a completely confused expression on his face. “Lance! Is it Lance? Can you give us a lift?”

“Please?” Seren added, shooting a pointed look at the Doctor.

Lance nodded, still looking completely confused.

~*~

Lance parked his car in front of H.C. Clements and he and his passengers got out, wasting no time running into the building.

“You might see the firm as a locksmith, but H.C. Clements was brought up by the Torchwood Institute 23 years ago.” Seren explained as Donna led them to her desk.

“Who are they?” Donna asked with a frown, entering her access codes before stepping back.

“They were behind the Battle of Canary Wharf.” The Doctor replied, exchanging a glance with Seren and Siwan. Donna just looked at them, not having any idea what the Time Lord was talking about. “Cybermen Invasion?”

“The skies over London filled with Daleks?” Seren tried.

“Oh, I was in Spain.” Donna said, as though it explained her lack of knowledge to the incident.

“They had Cybermen in Spain.” Seren said.

“Scuba diving.” Donna said, rolling her eyes.

“I guess that’s one way to not notice them.” Siwan said thoughtfully before turning to Seren and the Doctor. “And anyway, most people think the Battle was a global scale terrorist attack.”

“That big picture Donna, you keep on missing it.” The Doctor commented, darting around the redhead and moving to another computer. “Torchwood One was destroyed, but H.C. Clements managed to stay in business.”

“Likely because someone else took over because someone else took over the operation.” Seren said as the Doctor began whacking the monitor to try and get to do what he wanted it to do.

“Ada, stop hitting the monitor!” Siwan cried exasperatedly. “It doesn’t work when you hit the TV, it doesn’t work when you hit the TARDIS console, it most definitely isn’t going to work with a _human_ designed computer!”

The Doctor glanced at her before letting out a frustrated sigh, running his hands through his hair.

“But what do they want with me?” Donna asked, looking afraid.

“Somehow, you’ve been dosed with Huon energy.” Seren began to explain, trying to be gentle and not frighten the woman any more than she already was. “And it’s a problem because Huon energy hasn’t existed since the Dark Times. The only place you’d find a remnant of a Huon particle is in the Heart of the TARDIS.”

Donna looked at her frightened, trying to understand what she had been told.

“Say, that’s the TARDIS.” The Doctor said, picking up a mug and holding it up. “And that’s you.” He picked up a pencil with his other hand and showed it to the bewildered redhead. “The particles inside you activated. The two sets of particles magnetized and _whap_.” He dropped the pencil into the mug. “You were pulled inside the TARDIS.”

“I’m a pencil inside a mug.” Donna said weakly, looking at the mug in the Time Lord’s hand.

“Yes, you are.” The Doctor said cheerfully, nodding. “4H, sums you up.” Seren reached up and whacked him behind his head. “OW!"

“You’re being rude.” Seren said exasperatedly.

“Lance? What was H.C Clements working on?” The Doctor asked the groom, putting the mug back onto the table and rubbing the back of his head with his other hand. “Anything special? Top Secret? Do Not Enter?”

“I dunno, I’m in charge of personnel.” Lance replied, shaking his head. “I wasn’t Project Manager.” The Doctor turned back to the computer and flashed his screwdriver at it, making the screen instantly display what he had been looking for. “Why am I even explaining myself? What the hell are we even talking about?!”

“They make keys, that’s the point.” The Doctor muttered, bringing up a 3D schematic of the building. “And look at this, we’re on the third floor.” He shot to his feet and ran towards the lift. “Astraea, Aludra! Come on!”

Seren sighed exasperatedly and grabbed her drawstring bag before following after him.

“He always like this?” Lance asked Siwan with a bewildered expression on his face as they followed after the couple.

“Attention span of a chipmunk, energy of a caffeinated terrier and rude beyond all measure?” Siwan asked dryly. “Oh yeah.”

“And he dragged you into this?” Lance asked disbelievingly.

“He didn’t drag me into anything.” Siwan replied, not entirely sure why, but getting the strange feeling to be cautious of what she said to the handsome groom. “He’s my father, I followed him and my mother willingly.”

“How can they be your parents?” Lance asked in surprise. “You look like you’re the same age!”

“We have very good genetics.” Siwan replied flippantly.

Before Lance could question her any further, they reached the lift and found the Doctor waiting for it to arrive with Seren beside him.

“Underneath reception, there’s a basement, yes?” The Doctor said as the lift bell dinged and the doors opened. He stepped inside and looked at the buttons. “Then how come, when you look in the lift, there’s a button marked lower basement?”

“There’s a whole floor that doesn’t exist on the official floor plans.” Seren remarked with a contemplative frown.

“So what’s down there?” Siwan wondered curiously, a glint of mischief in her sapphire eyes as she stepped into the lift.

“Are you telling me this building’s got a secret floor?” Lance asked disbelievingly.

“No, I'm _showing_ you this building's got a secret floor.” The Doctor replied lightly, gesturing to the buttons. Seren reached up and whacked behind his head, not looking away from the buttons. “OW! What was that for?!”

“Rude.” Seren replied lightly, causing Siwan to snort in amusement.

“It needs a key.” Donna said before the Doctor could retort, looking at the panel and noticing the key slot.

“We don’t.” Seren chirped as the Doctor sonicked the LB button.

“Right then. Thanks you two.” The Doctor said, looking at the bride and groom. “We can handle this, see you later.”

“No chance Martians.” Donna said with a scoff, and stepping into the lift beside Siwan. “You three are the ones that keep saving my life, I ain’t letting you out of my sight.”

“Going down.” Siwan chirped cheerfully, linking arms with Donna.

“Lance?” Donna said, looking at her groom pointedly.

“Maybe I should go to the police.” Lance suggested hesitantly, gesturing in the general area of the main doors with his thumb.

“Inside.” Donna ordered.

Lance meekly stepped inside, standing on Donna’s other side.

“To honor and obey.” The Doctor said, looking at the groom with a smirk.

“Tell me about it, mate.” Lance said, rolling his eyes

“OI!” Donna shouted as the lift doors closed and they began their descent, not even looking at the two men while Seren and Siwan giggled lightly.

“I don’t know.” The Doctor said thoughtfully, wrapping his arm around Seren. “It’s not so bad, honoring and obeying.” He looked down at her, his gaze filled with love. “What do you think? Will you marry me?”

He pulled a ring out of his breast pocket and held it out to her in the palm of his hand. It was a single solitaire princess cut diamond with tiny white diamonds encrusted along the band*, the same ring that had been hers in her past life. He looked at her, completely forgetting that Donna, Lance and Siwan were in the lift as well, watching them with wide-eyed, stunned expressions. His gaze was firmly on his beloved, watching her face as she looked between him and the ring.

“Yes, my love. I will marry you.” Seren replied, looking up at him with a bright smile and a delicate blush spreading across her cheeks.

“Brilliant.” The Doctor said with a grin, putting the ring on her left ring finger.

“That is beautiful.” Donna said, looking at the ring that Seren now sported.

“My parents are finally getting married!” Siwan cheered happily, wrapping her arms around the couple and hugging them tightly.

The lift bell dinged, alerting them that they’ve reached their destination just before the doors opened. Cautiously, they all stepped out into the long, dark, wet corridor, lit only by the green emergency lights.

“Where are we?” Donna asked, holding her skirts up with one hand and looking around the corridor. “Well, where are we?”

“Let’s find out.” The Doctor said, his hand still interlocked with Seren’s.

“Do you think Mr. Clements knows about this place?” Donna asked.

“Probably a part of it.” Siwan remarked casually. “If there’s an underground secret base, you can almost guarantee that the cover man is in on the conspiracy.” Donna looked at her with a raised eyebrow, wondering how she had come up with it. “I’m a big fan of James Bond.”

Donna nodded, as though the comment explained everything.

“Oh, look… The Doctor said, looking in the distance at something that caught his eye. "Transport.”

Tugging Seren along, he darted towards the four Segway scooters that were parked nearby. Using the screwdriver, he turned them on and ushered Seren onto it before getting on behind her, locking her in between the circle of his arms.

“Come on, let’s go poke around!” Seren said cheerfully, prompting Donna, Siwan and Lance to get on the remaining scooters.

They glided down the wet corridor, looking particularly comical with a bride dressed in a white gown, a groom dressed in a fancy 3-piece suit, a mother-daughter pair that looked more like identical twins dressed in lahengas and a skinny man wearing a suit and converse. Donna glanced around at them and couldn’t help but laugh at the sight they made. Seren glanced over at her and began laughing as well, Siwan and the Doctor joining on the laughter.

Lance, however, seemed to miss the humor as he looked at them in confusion before shaking his head in exasperation.

They came to a door that said ‘Torchwood – Authorized Personnel Only’ and the Doctor stopped his scooter, making Donna, Lance and Siwan stop as well. The Doctor and Seren got off their scooters, naturally intending to ignore the sign and investigate.

The Doctor spun the when and opened the door, revealing a ladder leading up. Seren kissed his cheek and began climbing up the ladder, not at all hindered by her long skirt.

“Wait here.” The Doctor said to Donna and Lance. “We just need to get our bearings. _Don’t_ …” he pointed at the couple sternly, “do anything.” He turned to Siwan, “Honey, keep an eye on them.”

“’Kay.” Siwan chirped, still standing on her scooter.

“You’d better come back.” Donna ordered him as he began climbing the ladder.

“Couldn’t get rid of you if I tried.” The Doctor replied with a cheeky grin.

“I don’t think I’d try at all!” Seren’s voice echoed down to them, sounding distant. “I like you!”

“Me, too.” Siwan said, smiling brightly at the bride.

Donna looked back at her and smiled, a fond look in her eyes. She was beginning to see the young woman as a precious younger sister, the one that made you want to instinctively protect from the darkness of the world. Similarly, she was starting to see Seren as a sister as well, the one that would move Heaven and Earth to protect you.

"Donna...have you thought about this?" Lance asked his bride quietly. "Properly? I mean, this is serious! What the hell are we gonna do?"

“Oh, I thought July.” Donna replied distractedly, smiling brightly up at him before looking back up the ladder.

Siwan pulled out her mobile and sent Adam a text, _needing_ to know how he was doing and to inform him of the Doctor and Seren’s engagement. Her mobile beeped a second later with a response.

_‘Finally!’_

Siwan laughed at the response and responded to the message.

_‘Tell me about it. How’s Rhi and the kids?’_

_‘They’re doing okay.’_ Adam replied a few seconds later. _‘They want to know if you’ll be coming home.’_

 _‘I don’t know when we’ll be coming home.’_ Siwan replied honestly before typing out a quick overview of what was happening.

 _‘Okay, be careful and stay safe.’_ He replied a few seconds later. _‘I love you.’_

_‘I love you, too.’_

“Thames Flood Barrier.” The Doctor called as he jumped down from the ladder before turning and lightly catching Seren around the waist as she jumped down as well. “Right on top of us.”

“Torchwood snuck in and built this place underneath.” Seren said, seeing Siwan tuck the mobile away in her purse.

“What, there's like a secret base hidden underneath a major London landmark?” Donna asked skeptically, looking between the couple.

“Oh, I know. Unheard of.” The Doctor said dryly, shaking his head and walking down the corridor, hand-in-hand with Seren.

Donna looked at the couple’s retreating backs, still somewhat skeptical, and followed after them. Siwan quickly caught up to her and linked arms with her while Lance trailed behind them.

Reaching a set of doors marked with Torchwood’s logo, the Doctor slowly pushed through them and entered.

It was a laboratory, filled with massive test tubes, each one filled with bubbling clear liquid. There was high-end chemistry equipment set up on the few lab tables that were there.

“Ooh, look at this!” He said in amazement, looking around at the set up. “Stunning!”

“Wow!” Siwan breathed in amazement as they walked through the lab.

“What does it do?” Donna asked.

“Particle extrusion.” Siwan replied, looking at the equipment keenly.

“Brilliant.” The Doctor said in amazement, delicately tapping a tube of the bubbling liquid. “They’ve been manufacturing Huon particles. In case our people got rid of Huons, they unraveled the atomic structure.”

“Your people?” Lance asked. “Who are they? What company do you represent?”

“We’re… freelancers.” Seren said vaguely.

“Whoever’s behind this has been rebuilding the Particles.” Siwan said with a frown, a worried look on her face. “Using the river water and extruding them through a flat hydrogen base so they’ve got the end result – Huon Particles in liquid form.”

The Doctor, nodding along with what Siwan was saying, picked up a small container filled with the liquid Huon Particles.

“And that’s what’s inside me?” Donna asked.

The Doctor gently turned the knob on top of the container and made the Particles glow. At the same time, Donna glowed as well, responding to the glow emanating from the container.

“Oh, my God!” Donna cried.

“Genius.” The Doctor breathed in wonder. “Because the Particles are inert. They need something living to catalyze inside and that's you.” He turned the knob again and the glow faded. “Saturate the body and then...” His eyes widened. “HA! The wedding!" Donna nearly jumped out of her skin as he spun around in glee, raking his fingers through his hair wildly. “YES! You’re getting married, that’s it! Best day of your life, walking down the aisle. Oh, your body's a battleground! There's a chemical war inside! Adrenaline, acetylcholine. WHAM! go the endorphins. Oh, you're cooking! Yeah, you're like a walking oven. A pressure cooker, a microwave, all churning away. The Particles reach boiling point. SHAZAM!”

Donna, who had been trying to keep up as he began speaking faster as the seconds ticked by, got fed up and slapped him again, hard.

“What did I do this time?!” He asked indignantly.

“Let’s see.” Seren said dryly, leaning back against one of the machines and looking up at her fiancé. “In the span of _15 seconds_ , you managed to call her a battleground, a host for chemical warfare, a walking oven, a pressure cooker, _and_ a microwave.”

“Ada, any woman would have slapped you.” Siwan said dryly, looking up at him with a raised eyebrow.

 _“I_ was about to slap you." Seren added.

“Oh.” The Doctor muttered before turning to Donna with an apologetic expression on his face. “Sorry.”

“Are you enjoying this?!” Donna snapped, glaring at him. He looked down, suitably chastised and realizing just how terrified the human woman must be. She took a breath and let it out, calming herself down before she spoke again. “Right, just tell me, these Particles, are they dangerous? Am I safe?”

“Yes!” The Doctor replied, trying and failing to sound convincing.

“Doctor, Astraea, Aludra, if you’re lot got rid of Huon Particles…” Donna started quietly. “Why did they do that?”

“Because they were deadly.” Siwan replied gently.

“Oh, my God.” Donna breathed, her face becoming ashen at the thought of what could happen to her.

“We’ll sort it out Donna, whatever’s been done to you.” Siwan promised, taking the older woman’s hands into her own and holding tightly. “I promise.”

“She’s right.” The Doctor said, his voice just as quiet and filled with promise. “We’ll reverse it.”

“We’re not about to lose someone else.” Seren said, putting a reassuring hand on Donna’s arm.

An almost demonic his echoed through the lab. They all looked around, trying to find the source.

 _“Ooh, she is long since lost!”_ A raspy voice echoed around them, the sound feminine and malicious. The wall in front of them rose up to reveal a hidden chamber just as large as the laboratory. There was a massive tiered hole in the middle that took up most of the floor, descending deep into the Earth itself. _“I have waited so long… hibernating at the edge of the Universe…”_ Lance’s eyes widened in horror and he ran out through the laboratory doors. _“…until the secret heart was uncovered and called out to waken!”_

The walls of the chamber were lined with Pilot Fish, sans the Father Christmas disguises and now wearing hooded, black robes.

“Someone’s been digging.” The Doctor commented lightly, stepping towards the hole and looking down into its dark depths. “Oh, how very Torchwood. Drilled by laser.”

“How far down does it go?” Seren asked, looking down into the hole as well.

 _“Down and down, all the way to the center of the Earth!”_ The raspy voice hissed in response.

“Really?” The Doctor asked in surprise, looking up. “Seriously? What for?”

“Dinosaurs.” Donna suggested, shuffling forward.

“What?” The Doctor asked, looking at her with a frown.

“Dinosaurs.” Donna repeated.

“What are you on about, dinosaurs?” The Doctor asked.

“That film, ‘Under the Earth’.” Donna explained.

“Oh, I know that film.” Seren said. “The one about the dinosaurs.”

“Yeah.” Donna said, nodding. She looked back at the Doctor and saw his frown. “Trying to help.”

“That’s not helping.” The Doctor said, shaking his head.

“Torchwood doesn’t do dinosaurs.” Siwan said matter-of-factly.

“Except for Myfanwy.” Seren said.

“True.” Siwan said, nodding. “But there’s an entirely separate clandestine government organization that deals with dinosaurs.”

“The one with the pet mammoth?” The Doctor asked, leaning around Donna to look at Siwan.

“A mammoth?” Donna repeated skeptically.

“Yeah, and a Coelurosauravus.” Siwan replied, nodding.

 _“Such a sweet quartet.”_ The raspy voice hissed.

The four of them blinked at each other for several seconds before turning back to the hole.

“Only a mad man talks to thin air.” The Doctor declared. “And trust me, you _don’t_ want to make me mad.”

“Too late, Ada.” Siwan said cheekily, an equally cheeky grin on her face.

“Yeah, thanks Honey.” The Doctor muttered, rolling his eyes good-naturally at her.

“Where are you?” Seren called, looking around the chamber.

 _“High in the sky.”_ The voice hissed. _“Floating so high on Christmas Night.”_

“We didn’t come all this way to talk on the intercom!” The Doctor called. “Come on, let’s have a look at you!”

 _“And who are you with such command?”_ The raspy voice asked.

“I’m the Doctor and this is Astraea.” The Doctor replied.

 _“Prepare your best medicines, doctor-man, and say your heavenly prayers, star-child, for you will both be sick at heart!”_ The voice shouted before a blue light flashed on a raised platform across from them.

The Doctor, Seren and Siwan exchanged looks, evidently the creature they were talking to knew what ‘Astraea’ meant in the Ancient Tongue of the Elder Races - ‘Star’, just like what ‘Seren’ meant in Welsh.

When the light faded away, the creature on the intercom was revealed to be a hissing red-and-black she-spider – the head of a woman with multiple black eyes and the body of a massive red spider.

“The Racnoss.” The Doctor breathed, his eyes wide in shock and horror.

“It can’t be.” Seren breathed, her eyes just as wide as her beloved’s in shock and horror.

“Ada, I thought the Racnoss were _extinct_!” Siwan exclaimed in shock, remembering the stories that had been told about the race and the books she had read.

“You’re one of the Racnoss!” The Doctor exclaimed, gaping at the spider being.

 _"_ Empress _of the Racnoss!”_ The Empress corrected, cackling at the gaping quartet.

“If you’re the Empress, then where’s the rest of the Racnoss?” Siwan asked curiously, momentarily pushing aside her shock. “Or… could it be that you’re the _last_ of the Racnoss?”

 _“The beautiful daughter has such a sharp mind.”_ The Empress remarked with a smirk, an underlying tone of desire in her voice.

Evidently, the Empress also knew what ‘Ada; meant in the Ancient Tongue - ‘Father’ or ‘Dad’.

“I’m going to ignore that.” Siwan muttered, her eyes going wide as she shuddered in alarm at what the Empress had said and the underlying tone of desire that could be clearly heard.

“Keep your claws _away_ from my daughter.” The Doctor growled protectively, stepping in front of Siwan to shield her physically from the gaze.

“What are the Racnoss?” Donna asked, almost hesitant to know the answer. “Aside from, you know, being alien spiders.”

“The Racnoss came from the Dark Times, billions of years ago.” Seren explained, keeping one eye on the Empress.

“According to the legends, they were carnivores, _omni_ vores.” Siwan continued, peeking around the Doctor to look up at the redhead. “They devoured entire planets.”

 _“Racnoss are born starving. Is that our fault?"_ The Empress hissed defensively.

“They eat _people_?” Donna asked in horror, her face taking on a decidedly green tinge.

“H.C. Clements, did he wear those – those black and white shoes?” The Doctor asked suddenly, seeming to change the subject as something above them caught his attention.

“He did!” Donna exclaimed, looking happy at the seeming change in topic. “We used to laugh and call him ‘the fat cat in spats’.” The Doctor caught her gaze and nodded grimly,  pointing up towards the webbing. There, sticking out along with the ends of black trousers were a pair of black-and-white shoes. “Oh, my _God!_ ”

 _“Mmm. My Christmas dinner._ ” The Empress hissed with a smirk, cackling wildly.

“You shouldn’t even exist!” Seren exclaimed. “Aludra was right, you should be extinct!”

“Long ago, the Fledgling Empires went to war against the Racnoss.” Siwan explained to Donna, seeing the confused frown on the bride’s face. “After _centuries_ of war, the Racnoss were completely wiped out!”

 _“Except for me.”_ The Empress hissed.

Noticing movement behind the Empress, the four caught sight of Lance. The groom gestured with his fingers for them to remain silent and they turned their attention back onto the Empress, not wanting her to notice him too soon.

“But that’s what I’ve got inside me, isn’t it? That Huon energy thing?” Donna asked, stepping forward to draw the Empress’s attention as Lance inched towards the massive arachnid, an ax in his hands. The Empress began to turn to the side, looking towards the direction Lance was. “OI! Look at me, Lady, I’m talking! Where do I fit in? How comes I get all stacked up with these Huon Particles?” Lance was within a few feet of the Empress, inching slowly and carefully forward. “Look at me, you! Look me in the eye and tell me.”

 _“The bride is so feisty.”_ The Empress hissed, cackling.

“Yes, I am.” Donna agreed. “And I don't know what you are, you big… _thing_ , but a spider's just a spider and an ax is an ax! Now, do it!”

Lance, standing between the Empress’ hind legs, raised the ax over his head. The empress whipped her upper torso around to look at him, hissing wildly, as Lance looked back at her, frozen with the ax raised.

Suddenly, Lance began laughing with the Empress joining in seconds later.

Seren, Siwan and the Doctor exchanged sorrow-filled looks, their earlier suspicions confirmed. Donna on the other hand, looked at her groom in confusion, a small frown on her pretty face.

“That was a good one.” Lance said, laughing as he lowered the ax. He pointed at the Empress, chortling. “Your face!”

 _“Lance is funny.”_ The Empress hissed.

“So much for ‘benefit of the doubt’.” Siwan sighed quietly.

“What?” Donna asked with a frown, looking behind the Time Lord at the younger woman.

“I’m so sorry, Donna.” The Doctor murmured softly.

"Sorry for what?" Donna asked with a frown, looking at him before turning to Lance. "Lance, don't be so stupid! Get her!"

“God, she’s thick.” Lance said contemptuously, glaring at Donna. “Months I’ve had to put up with her – months. A woman who can’t even point to Germany on a map!”

“I don’t understand.” Donna said quietly, looking between Lance and the Empress on the platform and the small family beside her.

“An operation this size, there’s always an inside man.” Siwan said softly. She turned her gaze onto Lance, pinning him with a decidedly cold gaze, angry at him for hurting her new friend. “How did you meet him?”

“I-In the office.” Donna replied, stuttering slightly.

“He made you coffee.” The Doctor continued gently.

“What?” Donna asked, not able to understand.

“Every day, I made you coffee.” Lance said with a sneer, strutting around the Empress to stand in front of her.

Siwan’s lip curled in a hostile snarl, the only thing keeping her from marching over to the former groom to slap him was the Doctor’s comforting yet firm grip on her arm.

“Donna, you had to be dosed with liquid particles for over six months.” Seren said gently, trying to explain as delicately as possible without having to actually _say_ the heartbreaking news.

“He was _poisoning_ me.” Donna gasped in realization, her eyes swimming with pain and heartbreak.

“It was all there in the job title.” The Doctor said bitterly, turning to look up at Lance. “The Head of Human Resources.”

“This time, it’s Personnel!” Lance called back, grinning at his pun.

“Hey! Puns are only acceptable when it’s our side that makes them!” Siwan retorted, leaning around the Doctor to look up at the former groom.

“But… we were getting married.” Donna said, looking up at Lance and blinking back her tears.

“Well, I couldn't risk you running off.” Lance replied with a shrug, sneering down at the redhead. There was no care or affection in his eyes as there had been only a short while earlier, only such disgust that Donna couldn’t help but flinch at the sight of. “I had to say yes. And then I was stuck with a woman who thinks the height of excitement is a new flavor _Pringle_. Oh, I had to sit there and listen to all that yap, yap, yap! Oh, Brad and Angelina! Is Posh pregnant? X-Factor, Atkins Diet, Feng Shui, split ends, text me, text me, text me. Dear _God_ , the never ending fountain of fat, stupid _trivia!”_ Donna looked down, her heartbreak at the abuse clear on her face. Seren wrapped her arm around the redhead’s waist, holding her comfortingly while Siwan reached out and took her hand. “I deserve a medal.”

“And what could _she_ have possibly have offered you that was worth hurting Donna?” Seren asked scathingly, nodding at the Empress and glaring fiercely at her and Lance.

“If she’s the Empress of the Racnoss, what does that make you? Her consort?” The Doctor asked just as scathingly as his beloved, seeing the heartbreak on Donna’s face and feeling a surge of protectiveness towards the feisty redhead.

“Ugh, if there was ever a need for brain bleach.” Siwan muttered, grimacing at the thought.

“Better than a night with her.” Lance shot back, gesturing to Donna being comforted by the two beautiful Welshwomen.

“But… I love you.” Donna said quietly, looking up again at Lance.

 _“That’s_ what made it _easy_.” Lance said, sneering at her.

Donna looked down again, valiantly trying to hold back her tears. Seren kept hold of her, hugging her tightly and glared up at Lance while Siwan let out a stream of very unflattering curses in Welsh, words that typically would have had her mouth washed out with lye soap by her parents – in both lifetimes.

“It’s like you had said, Doctor.” Lance continued, ignoring the glares that were sent his way and the litany of Welsh that Siwan was uttering. “The big picture.” His sneer morphed into a smirk. “What's the point of it all if the Human Race is nothing? That's what the Empress can give me. The chance to… go out there. To see it. The size of it all. I think you understand that, don't you?”

“Ada, can I shove him in?” Siwan asked, peeking around the Doctor and gesturing to the endless hole in front of them.

“Only if I’m not looking.” The Doctor muttered in response.

He caught her eye and shook his head minutely. Siwan pouted while Donna shot her a flicker of a grateful smile. Siwan smiled back, happy that her attempt to make the older woman feel better worked, at least a little bit.

 _“Who is this little physician, his celestial little Soul-Bonded and their beautiful little daughter?”_ The Empress asked Lance while eyeing Siwan and licking her lips.

The Empress could just imagine what the sapphire-eyed woman would taste like, _feel_ like. Siwan, noticing the look and the expression on the arachnid’s face, shuddered involuntarily.

“She said… Martians.” Lance replied.

“Oh, we’re sort of… homeless.” The Doctor said, waving them off while shifting slightly, hiding Siwan completely with his body once again. Siwan took Donna’s hand once again, holding it tightly while the Doctor and Seren faced the Empress. “But the point is, what’s down here? The Racnoss are extinct. What’s going to help you 4000 miles down? That’s just the molten core of the Earth, isn’t it?”

“I think he wants us to talk.” Lance commented condescendingly.

 _“I think so, too._ ” The Empress agreed.

“Well, tough!” Lance called. “All we need is Donna!”

“That is _not_ going to happen!” Seren shouted, letting go of Donna in favor of standing protectively in front of her. It didn’t do much, especially considering that Seren was much, much shorter that the redhead, but the implication was there – Seren was going to protect Donna, no matter what. “Ever!”

“Wow, I’m impressed.” Siwan commented idly, peeking around the Doctor and looking calmly at Donna. “You’d be amazed at the number of villains that tend to fall into that one.” She turned to Lance, a rather angelic look on her face. “Oh, and Lance? Did you know that female spiders devour their mates? A lot like the praying mantis.”

She smiled sweetly, feeling a measure of glee at seeing Lance visibly falter. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Donna give a small smile, a small upward turn of her lip.

Seren discreetly reached into the Doctor’s pocket and pulled out the container of Huon Particles, noticed only by him and Siwan.

 _“Kill the chattering doctor-man, his celestial Soul Bonded and their beautiful daughter!”_ The Empress ordered, wiping Siwan’s smile off her face.

“Don’t you hurt ‘em!” Donna shouted, moving around Seren to stand in front of the small family protectively, unwilling to let them be hurt because of her. Especially not Seren and Siwan, the two tiny aliens that looked Welsh and were so kind to her.

“No, no, it’s all right.” The Doctor said calmly, trying to reassure the frantic bride and moving to stand in front of the three women.

“No, I won’t let ‘em!” Donna proclaimed shaking her head.

 _“At arms!”_ The Empress ordered.

The robots turned and aimed their guns at Seren, Siwan and the Doctor, the sapphire-eyed Welshwoman no longer concealed since the Time Lord moved.

“ _Ah!_ Now.” The Doctor began, pointing bot his index fingers up. “Except-”

 _“Take aim!”_ The Empress ordered, ignoring him.

“Well, I just want to point out the obvious-”

 _“They won’t hit the bride.”_ The Empress said almost reassuringly to Donna, once again ignoring the Time Lord again. _“They’re such very good shots.”_

Donna tried to stay in front of Siwan to protect her, the only indication of her fear was the tight grip she had on the Welshwoman’s hand.

“Ada and Nana are planning something.” Siwan whispered quietly, seeing that the redhead was about to speak up again. “Let them talk.”

Donna nodded imperceptibly in understanding but stayed in front of Siwan, holding the younger woman’s hand tightly in her own.

“No. J-j-j-j-just hold on. Hold on just a tick. Just a tiny little… just a little… tick!” The Doctor said, managing to get the Empress’ attention. “If you think about it, the particles activated in Donna and drew her inside my spaceship.”

“So reverse it…” Seren said with a bright smile, holding up the container of Particles and tweaking the top. “The spaceship comes to her.”

The Particles in the container and in Donna began to glow.

 _“Fire!”_ The Empress roared.

Just as the robots fired their guns, the TARDIS materialized around the quartet, protecting them from the bullets.

“Oh, you brilliant girl!” Seren said with a bright smile, patting one of the coral Y-beams lightly.

“Off we go!” The Doctor said, dashing to the console and starting to run around it, flipping levers and pressing buttons.

 _“My key!”_ The Empress roared as the TARDIS dematerialized from the laboratory.

“Oh, do you know what I said before about time machines?” The Doctor asked Donna, looking down at the levers and buttons in front of him. “Well, I lied. And now we're going to use it.” Donna ignored him and sat down dejectedly on the jump seat, tears streaming down her face. “We need to find out what the Empress of the Racnoss is digging up.” Seren and Siwan moved to stand beside her, wrapping their arms around the heartbroken woman and rubbing her back soothingly. “If something's buried at the planet's core, it must've been there since the beginning. That's just brilliant. Molto bene! I've always wanted to see this. Donna, we're going further back than I've ever been before…”

“ _Cariad_.” Seren called gently, cutting into the Doctor’s hummingbird mode rambling.

The Doctor looked up at the gentle call and saw his fiancée and their daughter beside Donna, comforting the woman as her shoulders shook with silent sobs. He frowned in concern, not at all liking the _broken_ look on the redhead’s face.

Seren shot him a gentle and reassuring smile before turning to Donna while he returned to piloting them through the Vortex, trusting his fiancée and their daughter to help Donna.

“Donna, look at me.” Seren said softly, moving so that she was kneeling in front of the bride and looking up into the tear-filled blue eyes. “I need you to do something for me. Can you try that?”

“What is it?” Donna asked, her voice choked with tears.

“I need you to forget everything that Lance said.” Seren replied, reaching up and gently wiping away Donna’s tears the same way she used to wipe Siwan and Rose’s tears when they were sad. “Forget all of it. Because I swear to you, he was _wrong_. None of it is true.”

“But it _is_ , though.” Donna said, shaking her head and sniffling, another wave of tears streaming down her face that Seren wiped away, just as gently. “”I’m just a fat blob of useless…”

“No you’re not, Aunt Donna.” Siwan said strongly, shaking her head. “I swear you are absolutely brilliant.”

“ _Aunt_ Donna?” Donna repeated, looking at the sapphire-eyed Welshwoman with a teary smile.

“Yeah.” Siwan replied, nodding. “You are now my parents’ friend and it feels weird calling you by your name because of it, disrespectful almost, so you’re Aunt Donna. _My_ Aunt Donna.”

Donna couldn’t help but let out a tear-choked laugh at Siwan’s words, unable to help but feel a sense of warmth and comfort at the younger woman’s declaration.

“Aludra’s right.” Seren said softly, a small, gentle smile on her face. “You are our friend and we’d be honored if you would be her Aunt.”

“Yes, we would.” The Doctor said, looking over at the women from where he was standing by the console, piloting them.

Donna looked at the couple, seeing only honesty in their eyes before looking back at Siwan and seeing the same honesty and love in hers.

“Okay, I guess I’m Aunt Donna.” Donna said, nodding and finally smiling a true smile.

Siwan smiled brightly and wrapped her arms around her new Aunt in a tight hug while Seren got to her feet and went to the console, joining her beloved. The two worked together, watching as Siwan sat beside Donna and started talking to the older woman. As she talked, she also fixed the redhead’s makeup that had smeared because of her tears.

Reaching their destination a few minutes later, the TARDIS cooled down and clicked quietly. Seren and the Doctor peered around the console, seeing Siwan still beside Donna, now in the midst of regaling the redhead with stories of Mica and David. The redhead was laughing gaily, all traces of her earlier heartbreak completely gone.

Both knew that Donna had a long road ahead of her before she could truly move on from having her heart broken. However, just by laughing and smiling sincerely like she was with Siwan, she was already beginning to heal.

“Have we reached?” Siwan asked, turning to the Doctor and Seren when she realized that they were no longer moving.

“Yeah.” The Doctor said with a smile, nodding. “Want to see?”

“Why not? We came all this way.” Donna said, getting to her feet and brushing away the imaginary dust from her dress.

Donna couldn’t help but be amazed at what she had gotten caught up in, fairly certain that she had lost her mind completely. She had just found out that the man she loved and was supposed to be marrying had been poisoning her since the moment they met, just been insulted repeatedly by him and that he might very likely be the lover of a giant alien spider that was supposed to be extinct. But here she was, laughing and smiling away with a strange alien family that she had been adopted into, as though what Lance did to her was so completely inconsequential and barely thinking about him like he didn’t matter.

Donna glanced over at Siwan, watching as she darted around the console to stand by her parents and look at the scanner eagerly. The younger woman had explained to her as much as she could about the Huon Particles, though she didn’t know much about them since they had been destroyed long before she had been born. She had explained that the Particles would fade away over time if they were left alone, particularly since she had been dosed slowly and over an extended period of time. Siwan had also offered to kick Lance ‘where the sun didn’t shine’ for the pain and hurt he had caused her, causing Donna to laugh and reply that she’ll keep the threat for a rainy day.

“Oh, the scanner’s a bit small.” The Doctor muttered, looking at the monitor and drawing Donna out of her thoughts. “Maybe your way’s best.” He turned and headed to the doors, pulling Seren along with him. “Come on.”

“Come on, Aunt Donna.” Siwan said excitedly, taking Donna’s hand and gently tugging her towards the doors. “I’ve always wanted to see this.”

“You will be the first human to ever see this.” Seren said with a gentle smile, her and the Doctor having one hand on each door.

“What is it?” Donna asked, coming up to stand by the couple with Siwan beside her.

“Donna Noble, Aludra, welcome… to the creation of the Earth.” The Doctor said, he and Seren gently opening the doors and moving to stand on either side of the door frame.

Donna and Siwan moved to stand between them and looked out, their jaws dropping at the sight that greeted them.

It was so beautiful and spectacular that words couldn’t describe it. Massive boulders floated all around them, clouds of pebbles and dust drifted gently against gas clouds in various shades of blues, purples, red; all glowing in the gentle blaze of the newborn sun.

“Ada, how far back did we go?” Siwan asked, her voice hushed in reverence as though speaking too loudly would interfere with the mesmerizing sight before them.

“4.6 billion years.” The Doctor replied, his voice just as hushed.

"There's no solar system, not yet.” Seren said, like the others, her voice was also hushed. She glanced at Siwan and Donna, smiling at the mesmerized looks on their faces. “Only dust and rocks and gas."

“That’s the Sun, over there.” The Doctor said, pointing to the blazing star, partially hidden by the colored gas clouds. “Brand new, just beginning to burn.”

“Where’s the Earth?” Donna asked, looking around and not seeing her home.

“It’s in the dust all around us.” Siwan replied in wonder, remembering her years at school on Earth and on Gallifrey. “We’re right in the middle of it all.”

“Puts the wedding into perspective.” Donna muttered. “Lance was right. We’re just… _tiny_.”

“No, I think you’re more like giants.” Seren said, looking up at the redhead. “And I am not just saying that because you are at least half a foot taller than me.”

The Doctor snorted in amusement, remembering how a consistent feature in all her regenerations to date was her tiny height along with the color of her eyes and the Vortex shimmer along her veins.

“ _Annwyl_ , one word and I’m going to slap you.” Seren warned her fiancée, leaning around Donna and Siwan to look at him.

“I wasn’t gonna say anything.” He replied, biting his lips to keep his laughter from escaping.

“Sure you weren’t Ada. Sure you weren’t.” Siwan said, nodding sagely.

“Anyway, it’s what you _do_ , the Human Race.” The Doctor said, changing the subject and looking at Donna. “Make sense out of the chaos around you. Marking it out with weddings and Christmas and calendars. This whole process is beautiful, but only if it’s being observed.”

“So I came out of all this?” Donna asked, her voice hushed and reverent as she looked out again.

“Isn’t that amazing?” Siwan asked, looking up at the redhead with large, innocent eyes.

“Yeah, it is.” Donna said, nodding. A boulder drifted past them. “I think that’s the Isle of Wight.”

Donna laughed lightly, the Doctor, Seren and Siwan joining in.

“Eventually, gravity takes hold.” The Doctor explained excitedly, a bright smile on his face.

“One big rock that’s heavier than the others start pulling them towards it.” Seren continued.

“All the dust and gas and elements get pulled in.” The Doctor continued. “Everything, piling in until you get…”

“The Earth.” Donna finished.

“But the question is, what _was_ that first rock?” The Doctor asked frowning.

“Look!” Siwan exclaimed, pointing upwards at a dust cloud. A spaceship shaped as a 7-pointed star emerged through the dust cloud. “That looks like a Racnoss ship.”

“It is.” Seren breathed, her eyes going wide.

“Hold on.” The Doctor said, turning and running back to the console, looking at the monitor and rotated a lever frantically. “The Racnoss are hiding from the war! What’s it doing?”

The star-shaped ship began attracting the particles of dust and gas, making them zoom towards it as though pulled by a magnetic force.

“Exactly what you and Astraea said!” Donna called back.

“They didn’t just bury something at the center of the Earth.” Seren said, looking out at the sight before them. “They _became_ the center of the Earth.”

“The first rock.” Siwan whispered.

The TARDIS suddenly began shuddering violently, nearly knocking them off their feet.

“What was that?” Donna gasped, grabbing the railing to keep from falling.

“Trouble.” Seren replied, closing the doors and running towards the console.

“Ada, what’s happening?” Siwan asked, gripping the railing to keep from falling as the shuddering became worse.

“Remember that trick with the particles puling particles?” Seren asked, holding the console tightly with one hand and using the other to pilot them. “Well, they figured out how to reverse it!”

“They’re pulling us back!” The Doctor shouted.

The Doctor and Seren frantically tried to pilot the TARDIS through the violent shaking. The Doctor used his foot to flip a lever while Seren stretched across the console on the opposite side to press different buttons. However, it was beyond their control as they whipped through the Vortex back to the Racnoss.

“Well, can’t you stop it?” Donna asked, still on the ramp and gripping the railing tightly.

“What about using the brakes?” Siwan suggested, clinging to a coral pillar near the console platform.

“Your father broke the emergency handbrake.” Seren said, shaking her head exasperatedly.

“Seriously?” Siwan asked incredulously. “Again?”

“It was an accident!” The Doctor exclaimed defensively.

“Can’t you reverse or warp or… beam or something?” Donna asked before anyone could retort to the defensive reply, grasping for options.

“Backseat drivers!” The Doctor exclaimed irritatedly. Seren reached out and whacked him behind the head, not even looking away from the console as she rapidly pressed buttons and flipped levers. “OW! What was that for?!” He cried, looking at her indignantly.

“For being rude!” Seren called back, moving around the console and rotating a wheel while pressing another button. “And use the extrapolator!”

The Doctor grabbed the extrapolator, the surfboard-like object pulsing and glowing a soft blue light, and set it on the console.

“It can’t stop us, but it should give us a good bump!” The Doctor exclaimed, rapidly interfacing the extrapolator in with the console. He picked up a mallet and raised it over his head as they began to rematerialize at the drilling site in the laboratory. “Now!”

“Don’t hit her!” Seren yelled exasperatedly. “Honestly, that is why she keeps causing you problems! Keep that up, and one day, you’re going to break her!”

The Doctor ignored her as they disappeared from the drilling site and reappeared in the corridor. He ran out of the TARDIS with Donna following close behind, Seren and Siwan pausing to grab their bags from the jump seat before joining them.

“We’re about 200 yards to the right.” He said, looking around. “Come on!”

They ran down the corridor, the three women holding their skirts up. They stopped in front of another door that read ‘Torchwood – Authorized Personnel Only’.

“But what do we do?” Donna asked, panting heavily and scared out of her mind.

“I don't know.” The Doctor replied, shaking his head and shrugging. He pulled out a stethoscope and began using it to listen at the door. “I make it up as I go along. But trust me, I've got a history.”

“And trust _me_ , you really _don’t_ want to know his history.” Seren added dryly, standing beside him and leaning sideways against the door.

“That’s _so_ reassuring.” Siwan said sarcastically, rolling her large sapphire eyes.

“Really, what’s is with the sarcasm?” Donna asked, turning to look at Siwan.

“It’s a coping mechanism.” Siwan replied honestly, shrugging delicately and looking up at the redhead. “Everyone has their own ways of coping with craziness, mine sometimes happens to be sarcasm.”

“Suppose it’s better than panicking.” Donna mused thoughtfully before turning back to Seren and the Doctor, the Time Lady using her own stethoscope to listen at the door beside her fiancée. “But I still don’t understand. I’m full of particles, but what for?”

“There’s a Racnoss web at the center of the Earth.” Seren began to explain quickly, her attention on the door as she spoke. “But when our people unraveled their power source, the Huon Particles ceased to exist and the Racnoss became stuck.”

“They’ve gone in to hibernation for _billions_ of years.” The Doctor continued, his attention also on the door. “Dead. Kaput! So _you’re_ the new key, Donna. Brand new _living_ Particles! They need you to open it and you have never been so quiet…”

The Doctor and Seren whipped around, only to see that neither Siwan nor Donna were behind them anymore. They looked at each other, their eyes widening in terror at the realization that their daughter was gone.

"No, no, no, no.” Seren muttered frantically as the Doctor whipped back around to the door, using the sonic screwdriver to open it.

The Doctor ripped the door open only to find himself and Seren staring down the barrels of guns held by two robots.

~*~

Donna and Siwan were slowly suspended up into the webbing that covered the ceiling, joining Lance who was already bound tightly. Below them was the bottomless pit that led to the center of the Earth where the Racnoss awaited them.

“I hate you.” Donna hissed, glaring at Lance who was on one side of her while Siwan was on the other.

“Yeah, I think we’ve gone a bit beyond that by now, sweetheart.” Lance retorted.

 _“Ah, my golden couple!”_ The Empress exclaimed, cackling. _“Together at last! Your awful wedded life. Tell me – do you want to be released?”_

“Yes!” Donna and Lance shouted in unison.

 _“You’re supposed to say ‘I do’!”_ The Empress corrected.

“No chance!” Lance shouted, scoffing at the thought.

 _“Say it!”_ The Empress ordered.

“I… do.” Lance said begrudgingly, looking as though he swallowed something bite.

“I do.” Donna repeated, looking like she would want nothing more than to take Siwan up on her offer to kick the man where it hurt.

 _“I don’t!”_ The Empress said, cackling madly. _“Activate the Particles! Purge every last one!”_ Donna and Lance began shimmering a bright gold. _“And release!”_ A stream of the Particles shot from both of them into the pit below. _“The secret heart unlocks, and they will waken from their Sleep of Ages.”_

“Who will?” Donna asked in terror, looking down and seeing the golden glow fall deeper and deeper into the hole. “What’s down there?”

“How thick are you?” Lance asked, glaring at Donna contemptuously.

“Like you can talk!” Siwan shot back, glaring at the man. She turned to Donna and said quietly. “The first rock, remember?"

 _“My children, the long-lost Racnoss, now reborn to feast on flesh!”_ The Empress announced, beaming. There was the sound of thousands of spiders chirping, the pitter of their feet as they climbed the hole, drifting up. _“The web star shall come to me. My babies will be hungry. They need sustenance. Perish the web!”_

“Use ‘er! Not me!” Lance yelled desperately, struggling against his bindings. "Use them!”

“You do realize that saying that will only get you killed first, right?” Siwan asked him with a raised eyebrow, rolling her large eyes.

 _“Oh, my funny little Lance.”_ The Empress said with a cackle. _“The beautiful daughter is right: you were quite impolite to your lady-friends. The Empress does not approve.”_

The Empress hissed and raised her front pincers up, pointing them at Lance. The bonds holding him snapped away and the man fell down into the hole, screaming.

“Laaance!” Donna screamed, staring down horror-struck.

Siwan screamed in horror, tears filling her eyes and dripping down into the hole in drops of silver. As much as she didn’t like the man for having hurt Donna, she didn’t want him killed any more than the redhead did.

 _“Harvest the humans!”_ The Empress commanded. _“Reduce them to meat!”_ Two robots silently ascended the stairs that ran along the wall of the chamber. _“My children are climbing towards me and none shall stop them.”_ She turned towards the robots. _“You might as well unmask, my clever little doctor-man and star-child.”_

The ‘pilot fish’ that had been ascending the stairs turned to face the Empress and shrugged, removing their cloaks and masks revealing the Doctor and Seren.

“Ah well, nice try.” The Doctor said, removing his sonic screwdriver and pointing it up at Donna and Siwan. “Girls, I got you!”

Donna let out a small scream as the webs holding her and Siwan in place began to snap.

“We’re going to fall!” Donna screamed in terror.

“You two are going to swing!” Seren corrected, looking up at the two.

“I’ve got you!” The Doctor called reassuringly, his arms spread out to catch them.

Donna and Siwan grabbed hold of the thick strands in front of them just as the last of the webbing holding them in place snapped away. The two sailed in a wide arc, across the hole and past the Empress.

As they sailed, Siwan realized that her trajectory was too low and let go just as she reached the other side. She handed in a graceful crouch on the concrete rose to her feet, looking up just in time to see Donna slam into the wall below the Doctor and Seren.

Siwan winced sympathetically and looked over at the redhead who was sprawled flat on her back.

“Ooh, sorry.” The Doctor said with a wince, him and Seren peering over the railing to look down at the redhead.

“Thanks… for nothing, Martians.” Donna said as Siwan helped her to her feet.

“You’re welcome.” Seren said cheerfully, smiling down at the two women.

“At least you’ve not been eaten.” The Doctor pointed out optimistically.

 _“The doctor-man and his celestial Soul-Bonded amuse me_.” The Empress remarked, looking up at the Doctor and Seren.

"Empress of the Racnoss." The Doctor said, turning to her and losing all trace of his cheery attitude. "We give you one last chance. We can find you a planet. We can find you and your children a place in the Universe to coexist. Take that offer and end this now."

 _“This man is so funny."_ The Empress said, cackling.

“Consider this offer hard, Empress.” Seren added, looking at the Empress with a cold and hard look on her face. She was very angry at the arachnid for how she had manipulated Lance, hurt Donna and most especially, for how she had nearly harmed Siwan. “For what you’ve done to these humans, for the harm you nearly caused our _daughter,_ you should consider yourself _very_ lucky we are even presenting you with this offer.”

“What is your answer, Empress?” The Doctor asked, nodding in agreement to what Seren had said.

 _“Oh… I’m afraid I have to decline.”_ The Empress replied, laughing.

“Then what happens next is your own doing.” The Doctor said grimly.

 _“I’ll show you what happens next!”_ The Empress hissed. _“At arms!”_ The robots raised their guns. _“Take aim!”_ And aimed them at the Doctor, Seren, Donna and Siwan – most aiming at the sapphire-eyed Welshwoman. _“And-”_

“Relax.” The Doctor ordered, his voice dark and dangerous as he gripped the railing tightly.

His knuckles were white against the metal, his shoulders squared and his back stiff. His expression was cold and unforgiving, the power of the Oncoming Storm swirling in the brown depths of his eyes, as he glared at the Racnoss for aiming a weapon at his daughter. Beside him, Seren was mirroring his position – her hands gripping the railing just as tightly, her shoulders just as squared and her back just as stiff. Her expression was just as cold and unforgiving, the power of the Mara and of the Time Vortex blending and swirling in the hard gold-rimmed amethyst orbs, for the danger that was posed to her daughter.

The robots slumped over, their guns falling from their suddenly limp hands.

“What did you do?” Donna shouted up at him.

“Guess what I’ve got, Donna?” The Doctor asked with a smirk, his cold gaze never leaving the Racnoss.

“Pockets!” Seren shouted as the Doctor pulled out the remote control from his pocket and held it up.

Like her fiancée, her cold gaze never wavered from the Empress. Her skin shimmered lightly as the power of the Vortex swirled along the visible parts of her skin on her hands, her face and her stomach, visible even through the Perception Filter ring she wore on her right hand.

“How did that fit in there?” Donna asked, bewildered.

She could see the shimmer and the energy that swirled along Seren’s skin but decided to focus on one thing at a time – namely how the Doctor had managed to fit the remote control in his pocket.

“They’re bigger on the inside!” Siwan exclaimed with a laugh, completely unfazed by the cold and hard looks on her parent’s faces or the power that swirled in their eyes and along her mother’s skin.

 _“Robo-forms are not necessary.”_ The Empress hissed, making Siwan lose her smile. _“My children will feast on Martian flesh.”_

“Oh, but we’re not from Mars.” The Doctor said, a dangerous tone echoing in his voice – a hidden threat, a warning and a promise all in one.

 _“Then where?”_ The Empress hissed, a hint of fear in her voice at the power that swirled along Seren’s skin.

“Our home planet is far away and long since gone.” The Doctor said, his voice echoing with power.

“But the name lives on.” Seren continued.

“ _Gallifrey._ ” Siwan finished, turning to look up at the Empress.

Like her mother, the power of the Mara swirled within the depths of Siwan’s sapphire eyes as she glared up at the arachnid.

The Empress reared back, hissing angrily.

 _“They_ murdered _the Racnoss!”_

“We _warned_ you.” The Doctor reminded her. “You _took_ our _daughter_ , you put her in _danger_ , you _hurt_ her.” He shook his head, glaring at her fiercely. “You should _not_ have crossed _us_.” He pulled a handful of baubles out of one pocket while Seren pulled some more out of his other one. “ _You_ did this.”

 _“No!”_ The Empress cried in panic, seeing the baubles in their hands. _“No! Don't! No!”_

The Doctor and Seren ignored her pleas and tossed the baubles into the air, the Doctor using the remote to control them.

Several baubles surrounded the Empress, whirling around her while the rest flew out into the corridors and blasted holes in the walls, causing the water from the Thames to pour in. Fires erupted all around them and the Empress roared in anger.

Siwan screamed and screwed her eyes shut, covering her ears with her hands. Behind her closed eyelids, she was taken back to the days of the War that she had witnessed before her death – the screams of Gallifrey’s children as they died before they could regenerate. Parents were wailing when they found their children dead. Men, women, children were all dying around her as the Daleks yelled ‘Exterminate!’

She could see herself pulling the body of a child out from the rubble, a young boy who had been a friend of hers at the Academy, when a Dalek found her. She could hear its cry of ‘Exterminate!’ and could see her mother running towards her, yelling for her to run. She tried to run while her mother used her power over the Vortex to destroy the approaching Daleks. But it was too late, one killed her from behind while another killed her mother as she held off several more.

Torrents of water from the Thames rushed in, flowing down the corridors and straight to the drilling site.

Seren stared down at the Empress, her expression filled with anger and hate for what she had done – to Lance, to Donna and to Siwan. Her mind raced as she remembered being on Gallifrey in the early days of the War, using her power over the Vortex to fight the Daleks. It was chaos and destruction, the once great race being torn apart by the Daleks. She remembered seeing her daughter out of the corner of her eye, pulling the body of a little boy out from the rubble as a Dalek glided towards her from behind. She remembered running towards Aludra, screaming for her to run while holding back the approaching Daleks. She remembered screaming as a Dalek shot Aludra before shooting her in the back and killing her as well.

 _“My children!”_ The Empress wailed as the unrelenting torrent of water rushed down the drilled hole.

The Doctor stood in silence, not seeing the scene in front of him, but rather the moment he found his wife and daughter laying amidst the rubble of destroyed buildings and Dalek remains. He remembered running to them, screaming, and feeling the electrical tinge of Astraea’s power clinging to the air. In her last moments, the Time Lady Astraea had let loose a wave of Vortex energy that completely decimated the Daleks that surrounded her and her daughter. He remembered the vow he made as he held his wife and child – he was going to end the War, no matter what it took. No More.

 _“No!”_ The Empress wailed in despair. _“My children! My children!”_

All he could think was that the Empress deserved to die for trying to harm his daughter, for trying to take her away from him after he had finally found her again.

 _‘Let this be a warning to_ any _who try to take his wife and child away from me.’_ He thought darkly, lost in the memories of the past that blended with the scene before him – seeing Seren and Siwan’s bodies surrounded by Racnoss instead of Daleks, their flesh half stripped away from their bodies. _‘I will_ always _find them,_ always _save them and whoever_ dared _to take them would pay. Dearly.’_

Donna looked to her side to see Siwan on the floor, surrounded by water and fire, soaked to the bone. The sapphire-eyed woman’s eyes were screwed shut and she was covering her ears, shaking her head and _screaming_. She ran to the younger woman and wrapped her arm around the delicate shoulders, holding the trembling woman tightly. Looking up, she saw the Doctor and Seren looking at the wailing Empress, both with cold and hard expressions on their faces, their eyes filled with so much _pain_ and _anguish_. She knew that the three strange aliens were not seeing what was happening in front of them, but rather something that had happened a long time ago, something that left a very deep wound in them that hadn’t quite healed yet.

“Doctor! Astraea!” Donna shouted, her arm wrapped comfortingly around a trembling and screaming Siwan. “You can stop now!”

The shout and the weight of Donna’s arm around her penetrated through Siwan’s mind and she shook her head, snapping herself out of her memories.

“You’re overdoing it again, Ada!” Siwan yelled, looking up at her parents. “Nana! I need you to stop, please!”

Seren blinked, snapped out of her memories and brought back to the present. Looking down, she saw Donna holding Siwan in her arms, the younger woman still trembling slightly. She turned to her side and saw her beloved just as lost in the past as she had been, as their daughter had been.

“ _Annwyl._ Come back to me, my love."Seren said softly, putting a gentle hand on his shoulder and physically turning his face towards her. “I need you, our daughter needs you.” She reached up and gently stroked his cheek, drawing him out of his memories and back to the present. He blinked and the darkness in his eyes faded, the anger and the pain fading away to the deepest recesses of his mind. “Come back to me.”

“Astraea.” He said softly, reaching up and tucking a wet lock of her hair behind her ear. “Aludra?”

“She’s okay.” Seren replied, gesturing below the railing.

The Doctor looked down to see Donna had her arm around a trembling Siwan, both looking up at them pleadingly.

“Come on! Time we get you out!” He yelled down to the two women. “Climb up the stairs!”

Donna and Siwan ran up the stairs, moving aside the pipes and debris that had fallen from the force of the water. The Doctor took Seren and Siwan’s hands in both of his own and the four of them ran up the staircase and to the floodgate. He opened the hatch and ushered them up the ladder one after the other.

“What about the Empress?” Donna called as she climbed, the water continuing to rain down on them, Siwan behind her followed by Seren and the Doctor bringing up the rear.

“She’s used up all her Huon energy!” The Doctor called back. “She’s defenseless.”

Siwan reached around Donna and lifted the hatch open at the top of the ladder. They clambered out of the hatch, the sky above them whistling with the explosions that hit the webbed star. The Racnoss ship combusted against the inky black of the night sky like a massive firework display, fragments of the web disintegrating from the blast.

They stood on gate 8 and whooped in delight, each of them soaked to the bone and Donna shivering against the cold breeze that blew around them.

“There’s just-just one problem.” Donna said, panting.

“What is it?” The Doctor asked, looking at the redhead.

“We drained the Thames.” Siwan replied before Donna could, looking out at the dry riverbed before them.

“Oops.” The Doctor and Seren said in unison, looking sheepish.

“Ooh, I do not envy the poor people that have to clean this up.” Siwan muttered, shaking her head sympathetically.

They looked at each other before collapsing in a fit of laughter, the peals echoing over the empty riverbed.

~*~

The TARDIS materialized in front of Donna’s home and the four of them stepped out, no longer soaking wet but rather damp.

“There we go.” The Doctor said with a smile, running a hand over the wood paneling. “Told you she’d be all right.”

“Idris can survive anything, so long as she’s got us to look after her.” Seren said with a smile.

“Just like we can survive anything so long as we have each other.” Siwan commented.

“Definitely.” The Doctor agreed, wrapping his arms around Seren and Siwan, pressing a gentle kiss to each of their heads.

“More than I’ve done.” Donna remarked softly.

The Doctor let go of Seren and Siwan before pulling out his screwdriver. Using it, he scanned the redhead from head to toe, Donna too tired to be irritated at him for ‘bleeping her’.

“Nope! All the Huon Particles are gone.” He declared, putting the screwdriver away. “No damage, you’re fine.”

“Yeah, but apart from that.” Donna said, sighing heavily. “I missed my wedding, lost my job and became a widow on the same day. Sort of.”

“We couldn’t save him.” The Doctor said quietly.

“He deserved it.” Donna said, her voice a little too fervent as she tried to convince herself of it. The Doctor raised his eyebrow at her and she sighed, shaking her head. “No, he didn’t.” She glanced back at the house. “I’d better get inside. They’ll be worried.”

Through the window, they could see Mr. and Mrs. Noble hugging each other tightly.

“Best Christmas present they could have.” Siwan said cheerfully.

“Oh, no, wait. Your Aunt hates Christmas.” The Doctor refuted, looking at Donna with a knowing glint in his eye.

“Yes, I do.” Donna replied, nodding.

“Even…” The Doctor started, leaning in the doorway of the TARDIS and pressing a switch. “If it snows?”

The light on the roof glowed a pulse shot up into the sky. It split like a firework against the night sky before cascading snow all around them.

Siwan laughed delightedly and spun around in a circle, her skirts floating around her, as the snowflakes fluttered gently to the ground. Seren laughed and tilted her head up towards the sky, her eyes fluttering closed and letting the snow fall gently on her face.

“I can’t believe you did that!” Donna exclaimed, giggling hysterically as she reached a hand out, feeling the snowflakes against her skin.

“Oh, basic atmospheric excitation.” The Doctor said with a smug smile, a tender look in his eye as he watched his fiancée bask in the snowfall and their daughter spin around happily.

“Ada, you’re ruining the moment.” Siwan said as she stopped twirling and looked at him with a pout.

“Sorry, Honey.” He said with a grin, not looking apologetic at all.

“Merry Christmas.” Donna said with a small smile.

“And you.” Seren replied, opening her eyes and smiling gently at the redhead.

“What will you do now, Aunt Donna?” Siwan asked, turning to look at the redhead with a bright smile.

“Not getting married, for starters.” Donna replied. “And I’m not gonna temp anymore.” She shook her head. “I dunno, travel. See a bit more of Planet Earth. Walk in the dust.” She smiled at them. “Just… go out there and do something.”

“You could always come with us.” Seren said.

“No.” Donna said regretfully, shaking her head.

“Okay.” The Doctor said lightly, brushing the rejection off.

“I can’t.” Donna said sadly, shaking her head.

“That’s okay.” Seren said with a smile, though it was dimmer than before.

She had been hoping Donna would say yes, having really come to care about Donna over the past few hours.

Siwan pouted slightly, wanting to have shared the Universe with Donna the same way Seren and the Doctor had with her before her memories began returning, the way they had with Mickey and Rose. She wanted to show the redhead that she was truly special and important just the way she was.

“No, but really…” Donna said, seeing the disappointment on their faces and _needing_ them to know what she felt. “Everything we did today… do you live your life like that?”

“Not all the time.” Seren replied, remembering the times they would come to Earth just to visit their patchwork family and to have some downtime between their adventures.

“But more often than not, you do.” Donna said, looking at the three of them knowingly. “And I couldn’t.”

“But you’ve seen it out there, Aunt Donna.” Siwan said softly. “It’s beautiful.”

“And it’s terrible.” Donna countered gently. “That place was flooding and burning and they were dying.” She turned to the Doctor and Seren. “And you both stood there like… I don’t know… strangers. And if it hadn’t been for Astraea and what she said to you… And then you made it _snow_!” She shook her head, blinking back the tears. “I mean, you scare me to death… the both of you! And I think… Aludra can be just as frightening if pushed.”

The Doctor, Seren and Siwan exchanged looks, knowing that Donna was very right. This time, the Doctor and Seren had been pushed to their limit at the threat to their daughter, both becoming overwhelmed by the memories of the past and nearly being overcome completely. Siwan could very well be pushed to her limit if there was a threat to either of them or to Adam or anyone else they loved.

“Well, then…” The Doctor said quietly, swallowing hard.

“I tell you what I can do though… Christmas dinner.” Donna said, nodding to the house behind her. The Doctor shifted uncertainly while Seren and Siwan exchanged looks. “Oh, come on. You three did it last year, you said so. And you might as well because Mum always cooks enough for twenty.”

“Actually, we were going to spend it with Adam and the others.” The Doctor said apologetically. He gestured to Siwan with his thumb and added teasingly, “I don’t know how long this one’s going to last if she doesn’t see her beloved.”

Siwan stuck her tongue out at him, a delicate blush painting her cheeks.

“Okay.” Donna said, nodding.

“Right, Aludra, in.” The Doctor said, opening the door for the younger woman to enter.

“Bye, Aunt Donna.” Siwan said, hugging the redhead tightly and kissing her cheek before running into the TARDIS, an excited smile on her face at the thought of seeing her beloved Immortal again.

“Bye Donna.” Seren said with a smile, hugging the taller woman and kissing her cheek before entering the TARDIS behind Siwan.

“See you, Donna.” The Doctor said with a smile before stepping inside the TARDIS and closing the door.

The TARDIS began to dematerialize with a whirring noise and Donna turned towards the house, a small smile on her face. Realizing something, she whipped back around to face the blue box.

“Doctor!” She shouted before the box could completely dematerialize. “Astraea! Aludra!”

The engines stopped and the Doctor poked his head out with Seren opening the other door for her and Siwan to look out at her.

“Blimey, you can shout.” The Doctor remarked, looking quite impressed.

“Am I ever going to see the three of you again?” Donna asked softly.

“I definitely hope so, Aunt Donna.” Siwan said with a smile.

“If we’re lucky.” Seren said, smiling warmly.

“Just… promise me one thing.” Donna said softly. “Find someone.”

“We don’t need anyone.” The Doctor said firmly. “We have each other and our family.”

“Even still, I think you do need someone.” Donna said with a sad smile, a sympathetic look in her eyes. “Because Doctor, sometimes you need someone to stop you, and Astraea, occasionally you do as well. Aludra can’t do it on her own, and I think there will come a time when she will need someone to stop her as well. Because all three of you are hurt in different ways, and as much as you try to heal and move on, there will always be something that pushes you too far. And you won’t even realize it until it’s too late.”

“Yeah.” The Doctor said softly, nodding in understanding and accepting that what the redhead said was the hard, honest truth. “Thanks then, Donna.”

“Good luck Aunt Donna.” Siwan said with a smile before ducking back inside.

“And just…” the Doctor started, trailing off as he tried to find the right words. “Be…”

“Magnificent.” Seren finished.

“I think I will, yeah.” Donna said, laughing and nodding. Seren and the Doctor smiled at her and turned to go back inside. “Astraea? Doctor?”

“Oh, what is it now?” The Doctor asked in mock exasperation. Seren giggled lightly, reaching up to whack him behind the head. “OW!”

“Rude.” Seren said, still giggling.

“Your god-sister.” Donna started hesitantly, abruptly stopping Seren’s giggling. “What was her name?”

Seren smiled sadly, a tear falling from her eye and trailing down her cheek. The Doctor wrapped his arm around her comfortingly and she leaned into the embrace.

“Her name was Rose.” Seren said thickly after several seconds.

The couple went back inside and closed the door. Donna stood back and watched as the TARDIS shot up into the air, disappearing amid the dark night sky.

_Links:_

_*Seren/ Siwan drawstring purses (Seren’s – amethyst purple with silver embroidery; Siwan’s – dark blue with light gold embroidery) -_ [ _https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/474566879480736347/_](https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/474566879480736347/)

 _*Seren engagement ring -_ [ _https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/162059286565573016/_](https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/162059286565573016/)


End file.
